CORTLANDT MANOR — A charter bus carrying 35 soldiers to Camp Smith burst into flames Monday morning on Route 9D. All service members escaped without injury.
The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. near the Route 403 intersection. Passengers first noticed smoke and alerted the driver, who immediately pulled over and evacuated everyone on board. Minutes later, the bus was fully engulfed.
Flames destroyed the coach despite a rapid response from Garrison and Continental Village fire departments. Garrison Fire Chief Fred Reich confirmed his team responded swiftly but arrived to find the vehicle already consumed by fire.
A general alarm was sounded. Continental Village firefighters provided mutual aid, arriving with a tanker and crew. Multiple hose lines were used to surround and knock down the intense blaze.
A section of Route 9D was closed during the emergency. Thick black smoke could be seen from Orange and Rockland counties, prompting several 9-1-1 calls to the Putnam County dispatch center.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Mathew Alvarez joined Rockland Daily News as a reporter in March 2020, but he’s no stranger to Rockland County. He grew up in New City and graduated from Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media.
