FAIRBANKS (AP) -- A bus carrying a Fairbanks high school volleyball team caught fire as the team was returning from a tournament in Valdez.
Nobody was injured in Sunday's accident on Thompson Pass, but the bus was destroyed along with most of the players' and coaches' personal items and equipment on board, according to Monroe Catholic High School athletic director Gary Drexler.
``Everyone is safe, but everything that was on the bus was lost,'' Drexler said. ``It could have been a lot worse.''
The girls' volleyball team played in the Aurora Conference Tournament in Valdez over the weekend, and was returning to Fairbanks Sunday morning.
As the bus climbed Thompson Pass on the Richardson Highway, the players began smelling smoke, according to reports received from the parents of several players.
The driver pulled the bus over and the players got off. Shortly afterward, the bus burst into flames.
Drexler, who was in his own vehicle, pulled up to the bus soon after the passengers evacuated.
``The driver had the fire extinguisher out, but it was already too late,'' Drexler said. ``I opened the back door and thought about trying to get some stuff out, but then I saw the black smoke and flames and thought better of it.''
Passing drivers carried the team and coaches to a Department of Transportation work station at Thompson Pass, from where a bus carried them to Glennallen. They waited there for another bus from Fairbanks to retrieve them.
``The kids were worried about losing all their shoes and knee pads and that kind of stuff, but Jessica (assistant coach Jessica Wilken) had the uniforms right at her feet so she grabbed them when she got off the bus,'' Drexler said. ``At least we'll have uniforms for the state tournament later this week.''
The Rams spent several hours in Glennallen Sunday afternoon and finally got back on the road at about 5 p.m.
