Several school buses torched in Littleton

LITTLETON, Mass. -- Several school buses were torched in Littleton. Police say a car was spotted going in and out of the bus yard, shooting off fireworks.

A shell of a school bus burnt from the outside in was one of three that caught on fire - one of them belonging to driver Jack Griffin.

“These things are very personal,” said Griffin. “People just think they’re a bus - they’re really not - they’re part of you.”

Littleton Police believe it was no accident.

Surveillance cameras from behind the school caught a car in the lot just before the fire started.

“They're seen setting off fireworks and actually seen setting fireworks near the buses,” said an official.

“They did come back two times though and got closer and closer to the bus each time…the third set was definitely either in between the buses or right there on the buses,” said Lt. Matthew King of the Littleton Police Department.

“I thought the whole fleet was gonna go,” said a woman.

When crews arrived all nine buses were lined in a row. Fortunately firefighters managed to save most of the fleet.

But then their focus turned to the diesel fuel spill, and fears it could reach a stream, leading to the town's water supply.

“We're happy to say this morning we contained it to the first 200 feet of the parking lot,” said Chief Stephen Carter of the Littleton Fire Department.

Meanwhile, town leaders and the school's bus drivers can only stare at the horrible damage and wonder why.

“I don’t understand how people can be this malicious. It’s awful,” said Wanda Belliveau, bus driver.

“You do never want it to happen, but the saving grace is these buses did not have to be…in service at 6:30 this morning,” said Keith Bergman, town administrator.

“Words can’t describe it…it’s just unbelievable,” said Helen Hamm, Supervisor of Dee Bus Company.

Police believe they are looking for a light colored car, possibly a Mustang or a Grand Am. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

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