She Saw A School Bus On Fire. What This Mom Did Next Saved 22 Kids

October 22, 2025

What started as a normal afternoon in East Bethel, Minnesota, quickly turned into a scene of chaos — and courage.

When mom Kari Thorp stepped outside to greet her daughter after school, she spotted something terrifying: smoke and flames rising from beneath the school bus. Without hesitation, she ran toward the vehicle to warn the driver, Rick Gratton.

Credit: Kari Thorp

“Kids were crying. Kids were scared and freaking out,” Thorp recalled. “It was quite emotional and kind of frantic.”

Together, Thorp and Gratton jumped into action, helping all 22 students from East Bethel Elementary safely off the bus before the fire spread. Thorp’s Ring doorbell camera later captured the children gathering in front of her home as the bus became fully engulfed in flames.

“It moved pretty fast,” she said. “It was probably within 15 minutes that thing was engulfed. It was crazy to see the tires and hear the tires explode.”

While the fire destroyed the bus — along with some backpacks and lunch boxes — everyone made it out unharmed thanks to Thorp’s quick thinking and Gratton’s calm response.

Parents and school officials have since praised the pair for their bravery, recognizing them as heroes for keeping a frightening situation from becoming a tragedy.