New school buses engulfed in flames in Lynbrook

An early morning fire Sunday that destroyed three new school buses parked at an intermediate school in Lynbrook is being investigated by the Nassau County fire marshal's office, fire officials said.

When members of the Lynbrook Volunteer Fire Department reported to the fire at the Davison Avenue Intermediate School at about 4:20 a.m., they found two buses engulfed in flames, and the third bus just starting to catch on fire, said Steve Grogan, a volunteer firefighter.

The buses were parked near a portable classroom on the school's campus. Grogan said the heat from the fire blew out the classroom's windows. All three buses were destroyed, and the fire is currently being investigated as suspicious, Grogan said.

The Malverne school district had just started leasing the buses in October to transport students to activities at nearby parochial schools, including Chaminade High School in Mineola and Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale, said Patrick Coonan, president of the district's board of education.

He said the last time the buses were used was on Friday, and there had been no electrical or other problems with them.

Coonan said he arrived at the school at about 4:45 a.m. "I saw three buses that are pretty much destroyed," said Coonan, who also is an ex-chief of the Lynbrook fire department.

"It was kind of devastating for us," Coonan said.

Coonan said the district has already entered into a contract with a bus company to provide transportation for students Monday.

Meanwhile, he said, he's eager to see what the fire marshal's investigation finds.

"I've been a volunteer fireman a long time - I've never seen an electrical fire in a bus parked for two days at 4 o'clock in the morning," Coonan said. "It kind of doesn't happen that way."