A school district in Statesville, NC has pulled some school buses off the road due to safety concerns after one caught on fire. The district pulled 3 buses, but there are over 1,300 of the same brand in North Carolina still in service. The particular model that is of concern to the district circulates exhaust back through the engine in an effort to burn off excess emissions.
Since the passing of Tier 4 Diesel Emissions Standards, manufacturers have had to come up with ways to comply and reduce emissions. Many, use diesel particulate filters to burn off the excess emissions which create more hot parts that have the potential to cause fire. While many of these fires go unreported, we commend this district in North Carolina taking some action to shed light on this growing issue.