Diksha Sundriyal
Directed by Paul Greengrass, Apple TV+’s ‘The Lost Bus’ is a survival drama film that follows the story of a bus driver, Kevin McKay, and a school teacher, Mary Ludwig. They are tasked with the responsibility of transporting 22 children to safety while a wildfire tears through the town of Paradise, California. Taking place over the course of a few hours, the movie covers the perspective of firefighters trying to contain the situation, though the majority of the story unfolds from the point of view of the people on the bus. The events are presented in a highly realistic manner, making the claustrophobia and suffocation felt by the characters resonate with the audience.
The Lost Bus is Inspired by a Heroic True Story
‘The Lost Bus’ is based on real events as recounted in Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 non-fiction book titled ‘Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.’ It details the experiences of the people who survived the 2018 Camp Fire, considered the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history. On November 8, 2018, the transmission line of Pacific Gas and Electric Company started the flicker of what would turn into a raging fire consuming the towns of Butte County, Concow, Magalia, and Paradise. Over the course of two weeks, it is reported to have burned about 153,336 acres of land, resulting in 85 deaths, the displacement of more than 50,000 people, and causing more than $16.5 billion in damages.
Johnson’s book presents the story from several points of view, but the movie, co-written by Paul Greengrass and Brad Ingelsby, focuses on one story in particular. Kevin McKay had been working as a bus driver at Ponderosa Elementary School in Paradise, California, for a few months and was saving money to get a teaching degree. The night before the fire broke out, he had euthanized his dog, Elvis, who had been dying of cancer. Later, his son, Shaun, caught the stomach flu, and Kevin spent the entire night caring for him. The next day, he left his son in his mother’s care and was supposed to return home when he answered the emergency call.
He was the closest bus driver to the school at the time and was asked to evacuate 22 children whose parents hadn’t been able to pick them up. By that time, Kevin had already gotten his son, his mother, and his girlfriend to a hotel in Chico, which means that his loved ones were out of harm’s way. So, he decided to help the children. When he arrived at the school, he was told to take the children by himself, but he refused to go alone. He asked the teacher, 50-year-old Mary Ludwig, to join him because someone needed to keep the children calm while he drove. Another teacher, 29-year-old Abbie Davis, joined Mary, and together they set off towards the safe location where the children were to be reunited with their parents. However, the journey wasn’t so easy.
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Kevin, Mary, and Abbie Kept the Children Safe Against All Odds
Despite Kevin’s efforts, they were stuck in traffic, which reduced the bus to a glacial pace. With fire raging on both sides of the road, the temperature inside the bus soared to an unbearable level. Outside, visibility was incredibly poor, and the streets seemed to be in chaos as well. Kevin, Mary, and Abbie witnessed car accidents. When one car grazed the bus, Kevin switched on the ceiling light so the outsiders could see that there were children on board. While Kevin drove, the teachers tried to keep the students calm. Abbie also served as the driver’s scout, helping him navigate the path by spotting fires along the way. After hours of being stuck on the bus, the children started to get unwell. So, at one point, Mary stepped off the bus, despite Kevin’s protests, to find water for them.
Meanwhile, they also tried to keep the children calm by pairing the big kids with the younger ones. They took everyone’s names and phone numbers and discussed the emergency exits and the use of fire extinguishers. It was established that they would not step off the bus unless it was absolutely necessary. On the way, they also picked up a preschool teacher from another school. To prevent children from too much smoke inhalation, they cut off McKay’s shirt into pieces to create rags, which were dampened with water. The children held these rags against their noses and mouths as masks to breathe through. The trio later confessed that there were times when they thought they were going to die. They prayed for their safety, especially that of the children.
At one point, Kevin told the teachers to make a manifest. In case the worst happened, the others would have a way to identify the people on the bus. Fortunately, it did not come to that. After being stuck in the zone of fire for five hours and travelling 30 miles, the bus finally crossed over to the cleared area, and all 22 children and three adults made it out alive and well. The film presents a close version of this incident. Some creative liberties have been taken in presenting the characters and their personal struggles. The character of Abbie Davis does not appear in the film because she did not want to be a part of the project. Some other minor aspects of the story have been tweaked for dramatic effect, but to a great extent, the film remains a faithful adaptation of an inspiring true story.
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