Brownwood News – A charter bus returning to Salt Creek Baptist Church in Early on Friday, July 7th, caught fire after a tire blew just a few miles away from the church. All 38 passengers, youth camp attendees and their chaperones, were able to quickly unload. Members of the Salt Creek Baptist Church youth group were returning home from Highland Lakes Camp in Spicewood near Austin.

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“We were almost home, three miles from our church, and we blew a tire,” said Salt Creek Baptist Church Youth Minister Phillip Bertrand. “When we got out to check it we noticed the tire was off the rim and smokey, and about two minutes later it caught fire.”

As soon as Bertrand and the driver saw the flames, they began unloading the passengers and luggage. The youth minister said it took less than a minute to get the passengers safely off the bus.

“The only thing we lost was one phone and two pillows,” Bertrand said.

After the tire blew, it took about 200 yards for the bus to come to a stop. It is believed during that short amount of time, debris from the tire knocked an oil cap loose, causing a leak, which mostly likely contributed to the fire.

While photos circulated on social media caused quite a stir, the youth minister feels the incident at the end of their week pales in comparison to the experience the campers shared.

“We had a minor accident so to say, but the bigger news is what God did at camp,” said Bertrand, who has directed the youth program at Salt Creek for almost five years.

Parents were especially glad for his quick actions before the fire spread.

“Phillip was a rock star,” said Mandy Luevano-Callaway, who’s two sons were on the bus. “Not only did he make sure the kids were all off the bus and got to the church safely, but he also drove the bus driver home.”