Story & Photos by IRENE PERHAM Deputy Chief, Standish Fire Department

On Monday, September 16th at 0705 Standish Fire/EMS units were dispatched to a reported School Bus Accident on Bonny Eagle Road at the intersection of Spear Road.

Upon arrival of the first Officer, there was a School Bus that had crashed into a house, caved in a portion of the foundation with smoke coming from the engine compartment of the bus. Additional units were requested to the scene.

Students were evacuated from the bus before flames erupted from the engine compartment, which was quickly extinguished.

Standish Fire/EMS took two students who complained of abdominal and neck pain to Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine where they were treated and released.

In the process of the School Bus crashing into the house, a large portion of the foundation caved in and left the sill of the house lying on the front end of the bus, which had to be shored up and the sill lifted off from the bus before it could be removed from the house.

Due to the complex extrication, mutual-aid was requested to the scene from Gorham fire department as well as additional units to cover empty stations.

Additionally Steep Falls building supply delivered a truckload full of 4x4s to the scene, which was used to supplement equipment on scene.

The entire operation took approximately 5 hours and an outstanding job was done by all.