A California-based band’s tour came to a fiery halt when their bus burst into flames on a Northern Colorado interstate.
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According to CBS News, the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority responded to a commercial bus fire on I-25 around 3:15 p.m. on June 22. Firefighters arrived to find a third of the bus in flames. The fire started near the rear driver’s side wheels and spread into the passenger compartment.
Authorities suspect a brake malfunction may be the cause of the bus fire.
The band, The Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps, from Concord, California, were traveling from a performance in Laramie, Wyoming, to another in Colorado later this week. The bus that caught fire was one of two vehicles the team was using for its tour.
Fortunately, all 30 people on board were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The band’s equipment, which was being transported in a separate vehicle, was undamaged.
Members of the California-based competitive drum corps team spoke to NBC affiliate 9News about the harrowing bus fire.
“We started seeing visible smoke filling the cabin, and the bus started pulling over,” bus captain Aydan Marquez told the outlet. “As soon as we got off the bus, it started smoking and caught on fire.”
Band Member Describes Irreplaceable Loss After Bus Fire: ‘It Was Really Hard’
The band is on a summer nationwide tour after rigorous rehearsals. While everyone escaped the fire safely and no instruments were damaged, some band members lost personal belongings. They spent Wednesday night replacing their essential items.
“Last night we all did a Walmart trip and bought air mattresses, pillows, blankets, and stuff we’re wearing today,” Marquez told 9News.
For band member Eddie Morales, the loss was more than just material possessions.
“I keep a journal of all my time and experiences in drum corps; that’s six years now,” Morales explained. “That got lost.”
“For a lot of people, it was really hard,” he added. “All of us are so far away from home.”
This was the band’s first bus ride of the season, setting the tour off with an unexpected bang.
“What a way to start our tour,” Morales quipped.
Meanwhile, the band is scheduled to perform at Drums Along the Rockies in Fort Collins this weekend.