The driver of a bus that caught fire on a school run has been praised for getting students to safety before the blaze "gutted" the vehicle.
A specialist fire investigator has been called in to seek the cause of the fire, which was reported to emergency services about 3.50pm yesterday.
The Go Bus vehicle had pulled over onto Mahurangi Rd near the intersection with State Highway 33 at Paengaroa, and all on board were evacuated.
Maketū fire chief Shane Gourlay said the bus was well ablaze when firefighters from Maketu station arrived. A crew from Te Puke station with a water tanker also responded.
"A student passenger on board alerted the Go Bus driver that smoke was coming from the rear of the bus," he said.