Poor air quality is a serious concern for Beloit residents who worry about the emissions from nearby power plants and now wildfire smoke. Just three years ago, under similar wildfire concerns, the city was named the worst for air pollution in the U.S.
A Hardee County school bus in Florida carrying five students caught fire after a crash. The driver evacuated everyone before flames consumed much of the vehicle, reported WFLA News.
According to the news report, the bus was transporting secondary school students home after their first week of the new school year on Aug. 14, when the incident occurred in Wauchula.
School officials said the school bus was involved in a crash before the fire began. They did not provide details about how the crash occurred, whether another vehicle was involved, or what caused the bus to ignite.
The school bus driver reportedly moved quickly to evacuate all five students as conditions became dangerous. No students were injured, and officials reported no injuries to the driver.
Emergency crews responded as flames spread across the bus. Images from the scene obtained by local news reporters showed much of the vehicle engulfed in fire as thick, dark smoke rose above the roadway. The fire caused extensive damage to the bus.
District administrators and transportation personnel arrived on scene and worked with emergency crews following the incident. Authorities had not released additional information about the circumstances surrounding the initial crash or the origin of the fire. No arrests or criminal charges were reported, and officials had not indicated that criminal activity played a role.
The quick actions from the driver kept the crash and subsequent fire from injuring any of the students aboard.
A fire that destroyed a Milwaukee elementary school earlier this summer was caused by rags soaked with cleaning liquids that spontaneously combusted inside the building, according to a fire department investigation.
Police arrested a 30-year-old man and charged him with setting fire to a charter school bus in Times Square as crowds celebrated the New York Knicks’ NBA championship victory last month, reported New York Post.
According to the news report, Jonathan Strahs was taken into custody July 20 at his residence in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. He faces one federal arson charge in connection with the June 14 fire.
Authorities allege Strahs entered the school bus on West 42nd Street at approximately 2:47 a.m., shortly after the Knicks clinched their first NBA championship in 53 years. The bus had reportedly been contracted to transport World Cup attendees between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and MetLife Stadium. No passengers were reported on board when the fire was set.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed Strahs entering the bus and leaving shortly before flames engulfed the vehicle, authorities said. The fire spread through the bus’s interior and damaged a nearby vehicle before responding firefighters extinguished it.
FDNY fire marshals reportedly determined that the blaze had been intentionally set. They worked with the New York Police Department’s Arson and Explosion Squad and ATF special agents to investigate the incident and identify Strahs as a suspect.
“This fire, set on a busy street during a night of celebration, put the lives of bystanders and first responders at risk,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. She credited the participating agencies and fire marshals for following evidence gathered during what she described as an extensive and complex investigation.
“This arrest reflects the strength of our partnership with ATF and NYPD, and the diligence of our Fire Marshals,” she added.
Strahs was among dozens of people reportedly arrested in connection with disturbances that occurred as crowds gathered across New York City to celebrate the Knicks’ championship. Authorities did not provide information about Strahs’ next court appearance. No injuries were reported in connection with the school bus fire.
Wisconsin could see smoky conditions on and off until the wildfires in Minnesota and Canada are out. Due to the size of the fires, it may be months before that happens.
Wildfire smoke engulfs the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on July 16, 2026 (Photo by Erik Gunn/Wisconsin Examiner)
For the second time in three years, noxious clouds of wildfire smoke are smothering Wisconsin, dangerously degrading air quality and restricting people’s ability to go outside. In Madison, smoke began drifting in during the early morning hours on Thursday. By sunrise, the stench of burning forests had settled in and coated the Badger State’s capitol city in a gray smog, compounding a multi-day heatwave bringing temperatures to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The smoke originated from 17 wildfires in the Superior National Forest caused by lightning strikes in far northeastern Minnesota. Severe drought and heat fueled the fires, threatening a 1.1 million acre forest that is the most visited wilderness area in the U.S. Rangers are searching for 6,000 to 10,000 people who might be in an area that has been evacuated because of the fires, PBS reported. Officials have cancelled all Boundary Water canoe permits, and closed public access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as part of a 3.9 million acre closure covering the entire Superior National Forest.
Wildfire smoke from the Superior National Forest fire scover areas many miles to the south in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
In Wisconsin, the fallout has been far-reaching. A statewide air quality advisory has been issued by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), with the air expected to remain unhealthy until at least Friday.
Local health departments from Milwaukee to Kenosha are warning residents to avoid the outdoors as much as possible, especially children, older people, pregnant women and those with respiratory ailments like asthma and heart disease. Even healthy people may experience eye irritation, coughing, sore throats or shortness of breath due to exposure to the smoke.
“While breathing problems and respiratory health dangers are often considered the biggest health impact from wildfire smoke, it’s important to recognize the impact on cardiovascular health as well,” said Dr. Art Coffey, a board member of the Milwaukee American Heart Association and a ProHealth Care cardiologist. “Wildfire smoke contains a lot of pollutants including fine, microscopic particles linked to cardiovascular risk. As these fires continue to burn, that contaminated smoke is traveling many miles beyond the immediately affected area.”
A press release from the American Heart Association warns that smoke exposure can increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and increase burdens on local emergency services. One study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that heavy wildfire smoke exposure increased the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by 70%, with that risk elevated among both men and women, particularly in adults from 35-64 years of age and those in high-poverty communities.
In a new analysis, the environmental advocacy group Clean Wisconsin estimated that 250 premature deaths occur each year in Wisconsin due to wildfire smoke exposure. The environmental group warns that these trends are likely to worsen. From 2010 to 2020, Clean Wisconsin stated, wildfire smoke caused unhealthy air quality conditions in the state for less than one day per year. Since 2020, however, wildfire smoke has caused unhealthy air in Wisconsin for an average of nine days per year. The smoke also carries particulate matter which is so small that it can penetrate the lungs deeply and cross into the blood stream, potentially leading to heart disease, cancer, dementia, blood clots, stroke and early death.
Wildfire smoke in Madison (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
Milwaukee’s health and public works departments have suspended or modified some services. Garbage and recycling collection is suspended until further notice, and the city’s drop-off centers are also closed. The city tow lot closed Thursday afternoon. Air quality in the Milwaukee area is considered dangerous, and people are advised to stay inside, run air conditioning, use portable air cleaners or air filters, wear N95 masks or similar protection if they have to go outside, and to check on their neighbors and loved ones.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a statement that this has become “the worst air quality on record for our community,” adding, “I encourage everyone to take this situation seriously, limit time outdoors when possible, and follow guidance from public health officials.”
All beer gardens, splash pads, outdoor and indoor pools and wading pools have closed in Milwaukee County parks. Residents rely on some of these services to cope with the high temperatures, but the smoke makes their continued operation unsafe. The Milwaukee County Zoo has also had to move some animals inside and cancel attractions and programming.
The Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Pool in Madison in Madison is also closed. In Kenosha, two park pools have closed as well as a municipal golf course, bulk and recycling and compost drop-off sites. A local “Peanut Butter & Jam concert” has also been canceled until further notice.
Climate change, the elephant trumpeting in the room
Experts and advocates stress the connection between repeated wildfire smoke emergencies and climate change, which creates the heatwaves and extreme drought conditions which set the stage for massive blazes.
“Increasingly smoky skies underscore the importance of a rapid transition to clean energy rather than building more polluting fossil fuel infrastructure that further contributes to climate change,” Dr. Paul Matthewson, science program director for Clean Wisconsin, said in a statement. “The faster we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change, the more summer days we will be able to enjoy outside without worrying about whether the air is safe to breathe.”
Wildfire smoke draped Madison on July 16, including this playground. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
“The wildfire smoke blanketing Wisconsin is a reminder that climate change is not a distant threat,” said Peg Shaeffer, spokesperson for Midwest Environmental Advocates. “It is already harming public health and disrupting our daily lives. While no single fire can be attributed solely to climate change, we know that a warming climate is making large wildfires more frequent and more severe.”
Chelsea Chandler, Clean Wisconsin’s climate, energy and air program director, said, “This is hurting everybody — our kids on the playground, farmers, construction workers.” Chandler added, “The public health threat we are all enduring must be a wakeup call…Wisconsin is moving in the wrong direction. Our energy companies are doubling down on burning dangerous fossil fuels to meet soaring AI data center demand, adding to the hazardous air pollution we breathe and damaging our climate. Wisconsinites are paying the price.”
Chandler said that Wisconsin needs to rapidly employ several policies including:
Rapidly shutting down Wisconsin’s remaining coal power plants
Ending investments in fossil fuel-burning infrastructure, such as new methane gas plants and oil pipelines
Dramatically increasing funding for programs to help Wisconsinites save energy and money
Investing in public transit and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
Supporting large-scale wind and solar development
Removing barriers to rooftop and community solar
Cultivating farming practices that truly store carbon in the soil and restore soil health
“These ideas are not new; in fact, many other states are already taking action,” said Chandler. “For example, Wisconsin is last in the Midwest when it comes to wind energy production, far behind our neighbors…We’ve got to realize that Wisconsin is not an island. No community is safe from the impacts of climate change. The question is, what are we — and our state leaders — doing to help?”
It’s a question young people, especially those who have grown up in an era of climate emergency, ask their elders with increasing audacity. Last year, a group of young Wisconsinites attempted to take the government to court, asking the state to eliminate laws that worsen the climate crisis and accusing those in power of robbing them of their right to a safe and stable future due to policies which contribute to climate change. In April, a Dane County judge dismissed the case, saying that although she was sympathetic to the children, that what they demanded was a political question beyond judicial review.
“Needless to say, we strongly disagree,” said Shaeffer. Midwest Environmental Advocates, which represented the children in the court action. “These kids deserve more than sympathy. They deserve to have their day in court.”
Wildfire smoke in Madison. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
The children involved in the case had suffered the effects of wildfire smoke exposure in recent years, Shaeffer said in an emailed statement to the Wisconsin Examiner. One 18-year-old girl named Madeline has asthma, and must stay indoors and avoid the smoke to avoid flare-ups, preventing her from biking, hiking or running outdoors. Another 16-year-old named Indy must stay indoors for weeks on end due to his asthma. Caroline, a 9-year-old girl, said she feels “trapped” when heat and smoke prevent her from playing outside. Those kinds of experiences were also shared by 18-year-old Lucy, who quit the cross-country ski team because practices were cancelled due to a lack of snow in the winter and smoke in the summer. 16-year-old Ted must do farm chores when smoke is heavy in the air. And 12-year-old Elia suffers migraines which are worsened by the heat and smoke.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax and a scam. Under both his administrations, climate policies ground to a halt as fossil fuel companies were given carte blanche to “drill baby drill,” as Trump is fond of saying.
“These are the real, lived experiences of Wisconsin young people whose health and wellbeing are being harmed by state laws that exacerbate climate change,” said Shaeffer. “We believe the court has both the authority and the obligation to address that harm.”
Milwaukee Public Schools announced Friday the 450 students from Lincoln Avenue School would move to Casimir Pulaski High School on 25th Street at Oklahoma Avenue in the fall.
A school bus caught fire Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 79 in Harrison County, West Virginia, temporarily shutting down the southbound lanes, reported WBOY News.
According to the news report, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 3:07 p.m. after Harrison County 911 received reports of a vehicle fire on Interstate 79 South, close to the Jerry Dove Drive exit. Responders arrived to find a school bus engulfed in flames.
No children were reportedly aboard the bus at the time of the fire. The driver safely exited the vehicle before crews arrived and was not injured. Photos submitted by residents to local news reporters appeared to show the fire originating near the bus’s rear wheels, though officials have not confirmed the cause. The incident remains under investigation.
The fire reportedly prompted authorities to close the southbound lanes of Interstate 79 while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, and crews ensured the area was safe. Harrison County 911 reported the highway was closed in the area by 3:39 p.m. Traffic resumed after emergency personnel cleared the scene.
According to the article, the Bridgeport Fire Department and Bridgeport Police Department responded alongside the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Firefighters worked to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading while law enforcement managed traffic.
Officials have not released additional information about the school bus, including which district or transportation provider operated the vehicle or whether it was in service before the incident. No additional vehicles were reported to be involved.
Authorities have not announced a cause of the fire, and no further details were immediately available. The investigation is ongoing.
Federal grants with awards ranging from several hundred thousand to tens of millions of dollars are available to help implement school safety measures, including improving school infrastructure and security, and strengthening emergency response planning and coordination.
Two federal funding programs are currently soliciting applications: One for states and the other for school districts.
The School Safety Enhancement (SSE) program was announced May 27 by the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human services on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. SSE is expected to fund 30 awards nationwide to state agencies defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
The estimated award range of the SSE grants are $500,000 to $5 million each. Administrative costs are capped at 10 percent of the annual grant award. Funds will supplement and not replace existing non-federal funds. Grants also cannot be used for construction renovation or repair of school facilities.
Projects could include safety and security exercises conducted by states with local first responders, such as mock-casualty school bus incidents. Only one application per state is permitted.
Applications are due July 28, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
The other federal program benefiting individual public school and charter school districts as well as school boards, local governments and law enforcement agencies is the School Violence Prevention Program (SVVP) through the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.
Eligible programs are emergency operations planning, active threat response coordination, and school safety assessments. The funding caps at $500,000 per award and requires matching local funds of at least 25 percent. Approximately $1 million of the available funding will be reserved for microgrants of up to $100,000 for school districts, including rural, tribal and low-resourced schools.
The SVPP application deadline is Aug. 11 at 4:59 p.m. ET.
How Federal Funding Could Be Used for School Bus Training
One program that could benefit from either state or local funding is Operation STEER in Texas. Diane Wilson, the safety and training specialist for the Region 6 Education Service Center in Huntsville, Texas, organizes and presents the annual training in coordination with a state grant and with local fire and police departments that consists of mock-casualty school bus crashes.
She noted SSE and SVVP emphasize prevention, preparedness training and coordinated safety efforts, all of which are key components of her events.
“While Operation STEER is currently a Texas-specific program, we are in the process of developing a broader initiative that will expand the model on a larger scale,” she added. “Given ESC’s role within the Texas education system and our partnership with [Texas Education Agency], I will believe there could be opportunities to position STEER as part of a larger school safety effort that aligns well with the objectives of this funding.”
Paul Hasenmeier, the fire chief and director of public safety for Hernando County, Florida, encouraged all states to apply for SSE in particular. He regularly works with school districts on developing mock casualty incidents that train both district personnel and first responders on topics such as extrication, fuel and fires. He collaborated with Wilson last summer to present a smoke in the school bus class at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada.
He added that districts providing such training, could expect to incur expenses, such as hiring a consultant to teach towing old school buses, acquiring school buses to cut up and any facility fees unless a school site is used. There are also some logistical items such as water, food, tent, chairs, etc., as needed. He also noted that fire departments wouldn’t charge to compensate for their firefighter salaries if they get to cut up a bus in training.
The STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada will open July 10 with a half-day seminar on best practices for training school bus drivers to respond to security threats. The session is led by Jim Levine, president and CEO of Levine Security Services, which produces the School Transportation Active-Threat Response Training, or S.T.A.R.T.
“These grants are golden opportunities for school transportation professionals to gain the advanced safety training we offer,” he added. “We did two email campaigns to state school transportation directors as well as sending out to our database of transportation and school officials announcing both grants.”
A former Utah school bus driver who admitted to setting fire to his school bus, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, bringing an end to a decade-long case that raised concerns about student safety.
Michael Austin Ford, 60, of West Valley City, pleaded guilty in March to arson of a vehicle belonging to an organization receiving federal funds after investigators determined he intentionally ignited a Granite School District bus with a cigarette lighter while driving it in April 2023. Federal prosecutors said surveillance video captured Ford setting the fire beneath the dashboard and continuing to drive as smoke billowed past his face.
In addition to the prison term, Ford was sentenced Monday to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $21,000 in restitution.
The case drew heightened attention because prosecutors also accused Ford of setting another school bus fire in February 2022 while 42 children were aboard. According to court records, students reported smelling smoke and were seen on video covering their faces with their shirts and coughing as smoke filled the bus. Ford eventually stopped the vehicle, evacuated the students, and used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. No serious injuries were reported. The charge related to that incident was dismissed as part of his plea agreement.
Federal authorities said Ford also attempted to tamper with the bus video surveillance system in the days leading up to the April 2023 fire, but investigators were still able to obtain video evidence showing him igniting the blaze.
Fires Go Back at Least 10 Years
Ford had worked for the Granite School District since 1998 and drove school buses for approximately 25 years before he was terminated following the investigation.
Investigators also linked Ford to several other suspicious fires. According to court documents, authorities determined he was involved in eight fires, including four involving Granite School District buses, two at his West Valley City residence and two involving personal vehicles. Police noted that the four bus fires all originated in the dashboard area and occurred while Ford was driving. One of those incidents occurred in 2017 when a bus was partially engulfed in flames, damaging part of the vehicle. No children were on board, and no injuries were reported. Authorities initially believed the fire was caused by mechanical problems before later identifying Ford as the driver.
“Protecting our most vulnerable population is a top priority,” U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak said in a statement following the sentencing. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners and my office who worked tirelessly on this case to bring it to a close and hold Mr. Ford accountable for his intentional disregard for safety and the law.”
A Long Island teenager and his mother are being praised after helping rescue a neighbor from a house fire while the boy waited for his school bus, reported People News.
The incident reportedly occurred March 31 when Jovani Moss, 15, heard “crackling” of flames coming from a house across the street from his family’s residence in Melville, New York.
“I didn’t notice the fire at first,” Moss told local news reporters. “But I heard the crackling of the fire, and I turned to look and called my mom.”
Moss said he immediately alerted his mother, Natechia Moss, and asked whether he should go to the house or call 911.
Natechia reportedly instructed her son to contact emergency responders while she rushed outside her house to warn the homeowner. She repeatedly rang the doorbell but got no response and thus began kicking the door until it partially opened. “I kept kicking the door,” she said via the article “Finally, I got it ajar a little bit, and all of a sudden, I saw her standing there and I grabbed her and said, ‘Your house is on fire!’”
The homeowner had reportedly attempted to re-enter the burning residence to retrieve her cat and jewelry before eventually escaping safely. Firefighters from the Melville Fire Department responded to the blaze. No injuries were reported.
Moss has since been hailed as a hero for reacting quickly, though the teen downplayed the attention. “A lot of people calling me a hero,” he said via the report. “I was like, ‘I’m not really a hero. I’m just being a good neighbor.”
He credited his mother with setting the example and teaching him to stay aware of his surroundings.
“Take out the ear pods. Keep your phone in your pocket until you get on that bus,” Natechia said of the advice she gives her son. “Always be aware.”
Melville Fire Chief Donald Barclay praised the family’s actions. “We are thankful no one was hurt and that Jovani did the right thing and helped his neighbor. The world needs more Jovani,” said Barclay via the article. He also commended the department’s volunteer firefighters, saying the incident reflected “the idea of helping your neighbor in multiple ways.”
New Poll: American Voters Support Federal Investments in Electric Vehicles Broad, Bipartisan Support for EV Investments and Incentives that Lower Costs, Expand Access, and Help the U.S. Beat China in the Race for Auto Manufacturing WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new bipartisan national poll conducted by Meeting Street Insights and Hart Research finds broad public support …
Login
