School bus goes up in flames on flatbed tractor trailer while parked at rest stop

A school bus caught fire while loaded onto the back of a flatbed tractor trailer parked at a rest stop on Wednesday evening. 

The Williston Fire Department was called on reports of a fire at about 5:05 p.m. at the Williston, Vermont rest area off of Interstate 89 on Wednesday, February 18th. 

According to NBC5, The school bus was being hauled by the flatbed tractor trailer northbound on I-89 when the rig pulled into the rest stop. The driver then left the truck and returned to find the bus up in flames. 

The fire appeared to start in the engine compartment and moved through the front of the bus passenger area. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames within five minutes. 

The bus was being hauled from Pelham, New Hampshire and was owned by the Triton Regional School District. It has been deemed a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.