‘Backpacks got burned’: Student’s heroism recognized in Fresno County school bus fire

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A young boy was recognized for his heroism after alerting staff to a fire that would soon engulf his school bus.

The children were on their way home from Hirayama Elementary School when they heard a large popping sound from under the bus.

“Well, I did hear like a steam, I heard like a pop,” 4th grader William Ruiz said.

William and three other students were on board the bus when he noticed the smoke and quickly alerted the bus driver.

“So I told the bus driver, ‘Smoke! Smoke!’ And the bus driver, he looked under there and he said, ‘That’s not smoke, that’s fire,'” William said.

The driver pulled over on De Wolf Avenue just to the north of Jensen Avenue. Wllaim said the driver pulled out the fire extinguisher, but it didn’t work, so he evacuated the bus.

“We all get out, and it was like catching flames,” William said. “Sarah and my backpack are OK, but the two other kids’ backpacks got burned.”

Flames shot out from the bus’s engine and quickly engulfed the entire bus, spreading to the back.

On Thursday, William was honored for “showing heroic qualities like kindness and bravery” with a “super hira award” from his school.

“We tell him to speak up all the time regarding everything, bullying, or you see something, always tell an adult,” William’s mom, Valerie Ramos, said. “It feels great, good job, William.”