Thomas Built Buses, the makers of the Off Campus College Transport bus that caught fire April 10, built three other buses that recently went up in flames.

Within weeks of the OCCT bus fire, three buses in South Carolina school districts experienced similar incidents. No one was hurt in the S.C. fires, according to a report from The Greenville News, a Greenville, S.C. newspaper.

All four buses ignited from in front and were built within three years of each other. OCCT’s model, a 2010 Saf-T-Liner, was purchased by Binghamton University in fall 2008 and delivered last summer.

“Other buses that were purchased at the same time as the one that was involved in the fire have been removed from service, pending the investigation of the incident,” BU spokeswoman Gail Glover said.

According to Vestal Fire Department Assistant Chief Chuck Paffie, Broome County fire investigators are still examining the cause of the fire and have not yet released information on their investigation.

At the time of the fire, Paffie said that the Vestal Fire Department’s investigation was leaning toward an electrical cause.

Thomas Built Buses is aware of the OCCT bus fire, according to Maria McCullough, spokeswoman for Daimler Trucks North America, LLC, the parent company of Thomas Built Buses.

“Thomas Built Buses and other interested parties are aggressively investigating the root cause of this fire and will respond appropriately once that investigation is complete,” she said.

She added that passenger safety will always be a top priority for Thomas Built Buses.

Thomas Built Buses is no stranger to fire hazards. In 2007, the company recalled Saf-T-Liner models made between 2005 and 2007 on account of fire hazards due to possible fuel spillage during or after an accident, according to recall records from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

In 2008, several models of Thomas Built school buses were recalled due to an electrical system defect where circuit breakers would overheat, resulting in fire.

OCCT driver Cheuk Wa Wong and two passengers safely evacuated the bus at 10 a.m. on April 10 after Wong smelled something burning and noticed white smoke coming from the front vent. The bus was at University Plaza on the Triple Cities route.

The driver and an OCCT staff member used a fire extinguisher from the bus in an attempt to put out the blaze while waiting for Vestal Emergency personnel to arrive on the scene.

Since the fire, the BU administration has bought two new buses, which are set to arrive in May or June. According to Glover, the new buses are from the same manufacturer but are a different model than the one that caught fire earlier this month.

According to its website, Thomas Built Buses account for one-third of the school bus market in North America.