<div><p>When we send our children off to school we're trusting them to the teachers, aides and bus drivers who will look after them throughout the day. It's rarely an easy job, and these people are responsible for the <a href="https://www.shared.com/she-rescued-20-children-from-a-burning-school-bus-2004853531/" target="_blank">very lives </a>of those we hold most dear. It's a good thing Teresa Stroble was behind the wheel of the bus earlier this month.</p><p>The veteran bus driver had 56 students aboard her bus early Tuesday morning as she was taking them to their schools in Duncan, South Carolina. It was the beginning of what looked like a gorgeous day, until students noticed something wrong.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/stroble---dailymail.jpg" title="Stroble" alt="Stroble" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>DailyMail</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Several students began talking about smoke in the bus, within minutes Stroble had pulled over and began calmly evacuating students. If she had waited any longer we might be talking about a much different story.</p><p>Just a few minutes after all the students had evacuated the entire bus exploded into flames. Stroble, having already radioed her location and called for help, was safely away with her students.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>"She did exactly as she was trained and quickly got them to a safe location. She is a true hero," an online statement from the Spartanburg School District read.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/burning-bus---trending-views.png" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/burning-bus---trending-views_GH_content_550px.png 550w" sizes="89vw" title="Burning Bus" alt="Burning Bus" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Trending Views</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>A witness driving by the blaze was stunned.</p><p>"As I continued to drive by the heat was so intense I could feel it from inside my truck," he said.</p><p>The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it's not believed that any other school buses of similar makes are in danger. Duncan Fire Chief Barry Frost said they are paying particularly close attention to an area of the bus that had a heater mounted under a seat.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/interior---dailymail.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/interior---dailymail_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="Damage" alt="Damage" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>DailyMail</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Parents aren't too worried about why the fire happened, right now they are just thankful that their children are back safe at home thanks to the actions of Teresa Stroble.</p></div>