Four of 52 passengers on a tour bus en route to Ventura were treated for injuries after the bus caught fire on Sunday, fire officials said.
San Bernardino County firefighters received a call around 1 p.m. stating that a tour bus was on fire near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Needles Highway. The bus was returning from Laughlin, Nevada, to Ventura.
When firefighters arrived, the rear of the bus was on fire "with heavy smoke traveling throughout the bus," according to a San Bernardino County Fire Department statement.
The driver of the San Luis Obispo bus was able to evacuate all 52 passengers, but four people were treated for injuries. One person suffered from a respiratory emergency and three others suffered from heat-related problems.
The driver of the San Luis Obispo-based tour bus told fire officials he heard what sounded like a rear tire exploding and immediately pulled over to the side of the road. He added that the back of the bus immediately caught on fire and he began evacuating the passengers.
The tour bus was engulfed in flames and officials estimate the loss to be at $250,000.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
