Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Paul Greengrass, Apple TV+’s ‘The Lost Bus’ delves into the way a real heroic story came from the horrific incident that was the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, California. It actually chronicles how a school bus driver and a school teacher fought to save the lives of 22 children during what ended up being the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history. The former is Kevin McKay, the man who faced a scorching inferno head-on for hours just so he could safely reunite the young, innocent, brave souls with their parents and loved ones.
Kevin McKay Was Not an Experienced Bus Driver Back in 2018
Although a native of Paradise, California, Kevin McKay reportedly struggled to call this small town home for the longest time owing to his past tumultuous relationship with his father. In fact, as per the original production, he left home as a teenager following a bad fight between them and didn’t speak to him for over 25 years until he got a call saying he was dying. The then-41-year-old allegedly rushed home once he heard the news from his mother, but to no avail, as his father sadly passed away before he could make it – this was in the summer of 2018.
Kevin’s grief and loss seemed insurmountable, but instead of letting it consume him from the inside out as time passed by, he somehow found a way to turn it into positive motivation. He actually became determined to be a better son to his elderly mother and a better father to his then-teenage son, especially as he and the latter’s mother had parted ways a few years prior. Even on a professional level, it was around this time that he left his stable, well-paying job at Walgreens after years of experience because he wanted to do something more with his life.
Therefore, Kevin decided to return to university to obtain a teaching degree, all the while working as a school bus driver in the local district to not only make ends meet but also pay tuition. He never expected to face his biggest challenge in this job when he responded to an emergency call just hours after finishing his usual morning drop-off on November 8, 2018. A wildfire had started spreading across the county, so when he heard Ponderosa Elementary School needed a bus to evacuate 22 kids whose parents couldn’t pick them up, he responded.
Kevin McKay Braved Traffic, Fear, and Fire To Return the Kids to Safety
While the film suggests that Kevin couldn’t reach his family and was unaware of their status as the wildfire spread, the truth is that he knew his mother, son, and girlfriend were all safe. He had realized something was wrong at around 7:30 am upon seeing the smoke clouds, so he had communicated with loved ones and ensured they had evacuated to a hotel in nearby Chico. “That freed me up to focus completely on this terrifying situation,” he told CNN, with the “terrifying situation” referring to figuring out a way to get the 22 children to safety/their parents.
Kevin wasn’t alone, though; apart from the kids, on board with him were 50-year-old second-grade teacher Mary Ludwig and 29-year-old kindergarten teacher Abbie Gerspacher-Davis. They did their best to comfort the youngsters while he drove on roads thick with smoke, got stuck in the gridlock of vehicles trying to leave Paradise, and tried to find the best escape route. At one point, a car suddenly sideswiped them and scared every single passenger to a great extent since it sounded like someone had punched the core of the bus, but they still kept going. They saw other collisions too, but they tried to keep things positive and chose to encourage the first responders rushing in the other direction by clapping, because they knew the situation was dire.
Kevin and the teachers were all scared for their lives since it looked like they were “headed into Mordor,” he said, referring to the realm of the evil lord in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series. In fact, he even had his acquaintances make a manifest in case things went wrong, and the only things officials were able to recover were their bodies. Yet, this was merely a precaution because he wasn’t giving up hope until the end – he had been on the bus driving job for just a few months, but he felt as if this ordeal was why he was led there. Thus, as soon as the teachers directed his attention to the smoke coming in, he didn’t hesitate to take off his shirt, tear it up, and ask them to douse it with water so the students could use it as a filter to breathe properly.
Kevin McKay’s Priorities These Days Are His Students and His Family
Kevin, Mary, and Abbie had to be careful because they only had one water bottle and one fire extinguisher, but it all panned out in the end as he was able to lead them to safety. It took him five hours to cross over 30 miles and reunite the 22 brave young kids with their parents, as well as the teachers with their respective families – they all fell into each other’s arms. According to the bus driver himself, he was hugged a lot in the aftermath, too, with Abbie’s husband holding him so tightly in gratitude that he “damned near lifted me off the ground.” All three of their efforts were so significant that they were not only hailed as local heroes, but the American Red Cross Society also honored them with the title of Heroes of the 2018 California Wildfire.
Once everything was said and done, Kevin returned to California State University-Chico to earn his degree in history as well as teaching qualifications. He still wanted to make the most of his life while also positively impacting the younger generation, and it appears that he is well on this path today. After all, at the age of 47, the former bus driver is now an educator at Fair View High School, where he does everything in his power to support his students in whatever way they need. Whether it is helping them understand history and how it correlates with the present or backing their initiatives and leadership programs, he does it all.
On a more personal level, the Chico, California, resident currently seems to be leading a good, happy life alongside his long-time girlfriend, Cari Green. He actually refers to her as “the love of his life” and looks to be embracing the time they have together by undertaking all kinds of adventures, including exploring sand mountains in open buggies. This particular activity seems to be his favorite, considering he has taken several trips across Oregon, Nevada, and California for it, with some of them also including his son. From what we can tell, Shaun is a college student as of writing, so although he no longer shares the same space as his father, they still seem to share a very tight-knit bond today. Since we are delving into Kevin’s loved ones, it’s imperative to note that he sadly lost his beloved dog recently – she was named Harlow and she passed away in April 2025.
Read More: Brian Martin: Where is the Fire Safety Expert Now?
