safety
When there's a disaster, the most important vehicle in town is the one nobody notices
Summary by The El Paso Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Stacker , KVIA ABC-7
· July 22, 2026
· 6 min read
On the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, a school bus driver named Kevin McKay pointed bus number 963 out of Paradise, California. It wasn’t a normal route. This day, he had 22 elementary students and two teachers aboard, and was in a wildfire that would kill 85 people. On any other day, this drive would ...
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Summary created by The El Paso Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Stacker, KVIA ABC-7 Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 22, 2026 Indexed here Jul 22, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway 8, 2018, a school bus driver named Kevin McKay pointed bus number 963 out of Paradise, California.
Why this matters in The El Paso
In El Paso, the humble school bus is a ubiquitous sight, ferrying thousands of students to and from school every day. But as the story of Kevin McKay's heroic drive through a California wildfire illustrates, these vehicles can play a critical role in emergency evacuations. With over 480,000 buses in the American fleet, El Paso's own bus network could potentially be mobilized to respond to disasters such as wildfires, floods, or other crises. The key to effective evacuation, however, lies in careful planning and coordination, including securing fuel, staging areas, and open roads. El Paso's emergency management officials would do well to study the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters, and consider how the city's school bus fleet could be leveraged in a crisis. By developing a thoughtful pre-disaster plan, El Paso can ensure that its residents are better protected in the face of an emergency.
About this story
Original reporting by KVIA ABC-7 . The El Paso surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KVIA ABC-7 . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: safety ·
Published: July 22, 2026 ·
Source: KVIA ABC-7 ·
Reading time: 6 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? On the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, a school bus driver named Kevin McKay pointed bus number 963 out of Paradise, California. It wasn’t a normal route. This day, he had 22 elementary students and two teachers aboard, and was in a wildfire that would kill 85 people. On any other day, this drive would ...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 22, 2026 by KVIA ABC-7 and curated for The El Paso readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Stacker at KVIA ABC-7. To learn more about how The El Paso selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more safety coverage from The El Paso, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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