Seventeen people and their bus driver were able to escape a fire on their Yakima-based airport shuttle bus Tuesday.
The Bellair Charters/Airporter bus fire five miles west of the summit closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 for more than two hours, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Richard Johnson, Bellair's owner, credited the bus driver for safely getting the passengers and their luggage off the bus before it was destroyed by the fire, as well as his staff for getting another bus up there to pick up the passengers.
"Despite the financial loss, we have so much to be grateful for," Johnson said.
State Patrol dispatchers were first called around 1:15 p.m. about the bus fire, said Trooper Chelsea DeHart. First responders got to the scene around 1:27 p.m. and closed off the freeway to traffic, DeHart said.
She said the 17 passengers, along with the driver and two dogs, were off the bus.
A Snoqualmie Pass fire crew put out the fire, which left the motor coach a charred chassis.
Troopers were able to reopen one lane of traffic by 2:12 p.m., with the westbound lane fully reopened around 3:55 p.m., DeHart said.
Johnson said Bellair dispatched another bus to pick up the passengers and get them to their destinations.
He said the fire is under investigation.
