A Hawkeye Stages charter bus caught fire Friday morning, causing Highway 218 traffic to be at a standstill for some time.
According to the Washington County Communications Office, at 5:41 a.m. the fire was reported on Highway 218 near Vine Avenue, north of Ainsworth. Everyone was off of the charter bus and no injuries were reported. As heard live from the scene on KCII, the back portion of the bus was fully engulfed in flames. Ainsworth Fire Department, Ainsworth QRS, Crawfordsville Fire Department, Washington Fire Department, Washington County Ambulance, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies, and Iowa State Patrol responded to the scene. While crews worked to extinguish the flames, traffic in the southbound lanes of Highway 218 was at a standstill. The bus was towed from the scene after it was extinguished and the bus drivers were taken to the Ainsworth Four Corners.