On Monday, a Maryland school bus caught fire after and was engulfed in giant flames on the side of the road. 

Many residents of Prince George’s County saw the bus and were terrified that children would be injured. However, they were relieved to see all the children had been saved by the heroic bus driver, Reneita Smith.

As she drove, Smith saw an illuminated break light and then saw flames coming from the wheels.

Without thinking twice, Smith sprang into action to make sure that all of the children were safe and sound.

“I opened my door, took off my seat belt and I got my babies off that bus,” Smith said about the fire. “I ran back onto the bus to make sure that every seat was clear.”           

The Glenarden Woods Elementary School bus driver has always treated her riders like her own children.

“As I’m driving that bus, they’re my babies. I’m their mom until I drop them off to their biological mom.” Smith added.

Most witnesses of the fire were impressed by Smith’s courage and ability to work well under extreme pressure. One local resident tried to help, but she only had a tiny fire extinguisher and she knew it would not help much. By the time the witness reached the bus, it was too late, and all the children were safely out of the burning bus.

Prince George's County Fire Department spokesman Mark Brady said the cause of the fire was not clear immediately.