'Hailed a hero': Morgan County bus driver alerts family to fire

Georgia bus driver saves family from fire

A Morgan County school bus driver is being hailed a hero after she saved a family whose home was on fire during her morning route. 

MORGAN COUNTY, Ga. - A Morgan County school bus driver has been called a hero after jumping into action to wake up residents inside a home surrounded by flames early last Friday morning.

What they're saying:

Marlene Davis was driving her morning route on Knights Ridge Cove when she realized there was smoke coming from a house. Davis says she saw a big flame coming from inside the residence and pulled over immediately. 

While one student was on the bus at the time, everyone made it out of the home safely, and the fire was quickly contained.

"I saw the big flame coming from inside the house," Marlene Davis, Morgan County school bus driver, said. "I just had to stop the bus and go to the door."

The incident occurred early last Friday morning during Davis's morning bus route. After Davis rang the doorbell several times, a man who had been asleep answered the door.

Davis says the resident she spoke with had no idea flames had surrounded the house. "I rang the doorbell several times," Davis said.

"And finally, the man answered." Davis also noted a text she received from her supervisor later on. "I just got a text from my boss lady saying it was a house fire, and they were asleep," Davis said. "And, you know, we could have saved their lives."

Later that day, Davis says the man she woke up flagged her down by flashing his lights to give her a card and express his gratitude.

"It was the only thing that I could have done, and it was the right thing to do," Davis said. "And I couldn't just leave them."

While the couple was not home when FOX 5 arrived, loved ones have expressed their gratitude for the driver's quick thinking.

The house does not appear to have sustained significant damage, with the most noticeable damage around the air conditioning unit.

Davis says she would not think twice about doing it all over again.