School bus 493 caught fire today on Collins Street outside the Kiama Leagues Club. Everyone was evacuated safely.

Worried Kiama residents took to Facebook to share photos of the fire when it was happening, but the fire is controlled now and the road is closed. 

Kiama Council has released a message stating Avcon has been appointed to ensure the environmental management of the incident and stormwater runoff is managed correct to minimise pollution to Black Beach.

Council is advising people to avoid central kiama where the fire occured (Collins St, Terralong St, Hindmarsh Park) as emergency services conduct their work.

UPDATE: Kiama MP Gareth Ward has commented on the accident via Facebook praising the bus driver, Gary, and the kids on the bus for their bravery.

"This mornings school bus fire could have been a tragedy in the making. But all were evacuated safely. Thank you to the driver, Gary, for your calm and swift actions and to all the kids for their bravery. No injuries is a blessing and I’m very thankful for the safety of all involved," said Mr Ward.

UPDATE: Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) have put out a media release stating that there is still no information available regarding how the fire started.

They say that 33 school children were safely evacuated from the coach after a blaze broke out at 8:45am. Two fire trucks and eight firefighters found the coach alight on arrival and were able to contain the fire within 15 minutes.

"Specialist FRNSW HAZMAT (hazardous materials) crews also attended due to the bus carrying 200 litres of diesel fuel. Fortunately, the fuel tanks remained intact, and an assessment of local drains has revealed no contamination as a result of the fire at this stage. Heavy tow services were arranged to remove the vehicle from the area, and alternative transport was organised for the children," FRNSW wrote in the media release.