Country music group LANCO is thankfully unharmed after their tour bus caught fire on Sunday (March 15).
The band’s members were traveling to Nashville on Sunday night after a show in Des Moines, Iowa, according to Billboard. However, their trip didn’t go as smoothly as expected when they got caught in a snowstorm.
Unable to continue, they pulled over to the side of the road and decided it was best to wait out the storm overnight rather than risk driving. According to the outlet, police helped LANCO reach a nearby hotel so the band and their opening acts could stay there.
Tow trucks weren’t running because of the harsh weather, so the bus driver stayed behind to keep things under control. But the situation quickly turned dangerous when he woke up to find the bus on fire.
The driver managed to escape with minor injuries, but it was a close call, considering that just hours earlier, the vehicle was full of people.
If it weren’t for the snowstorm, everyone likely would have been asleep on board when the fire started.
“It’s been a surreal 18 hours, honestly, and we are so thankful that everyone on board is safe and sound,” LANCO lead vocalist Brandon Lancaster said in a statement. “It was a very scary situation, and I can’t imagine what would have happened if we all decided to sleep on the bus. I know God was watching over us.”
Lancaster also took to social media to share a video about the situation and once again confirmed that everyone is okay.
He also included a few photos of the bus in flames, along with images showing what it looks like now.
The bus is completely burned and totaled. There’s still no confirmation on what caused the fire.
“When we were at the hotel, we found out, not long after that, our bus was engulfed in flames,” Lancaster says. “Had we elected to stay on the bus, there would’ve been 12 of us in the middle of that trying to escape. It would’ve been very traumatic if anything and potentially life-threatening.”