Boy notices funny smell on school bus alerting driver in the nick of time

In the blink of an eye, an ordinary child can become a hero. That’s exactly what happened to Rocco Arcese, a young boy from New Jersey, during a seemingly ordinary morning on his way to Joyce Kilmer Middle School.

It started like any typical school day for Rocco, a fourth-grader who was simply getting ready for school and heading to his bus stop. Being the first stop on the bus route, he didn’t have to wait long for his ride to arrive.

However, things quickly took a dramatic turn. As the school bus made its way down Chapel Road, Rocco noticed an unusual smell. It reminded him of burnt rubber, and his instincts kicked in. He realized something was wrong and immediately alerted the driver.

In an interview, Rocco shared what he said at the time: “I was like, ‘We should get off.’” The bus driver responded, “Yeah, I’m packing up!”

Thanks to Rocco’s quick thinking and his sharp sense of smell, both he and the driver managed to get off the bus just moments before it erupted in flames. Later, firefighters would explain that a mechanical issue in the engine compartment had caused the fire. Within minutes, the bus was completely engulfed in flames, damaging the front end and destroying the seats.

Rocco’s mother, Stacy Perone-Arcese, described the scene as intensely hot. “It was very hot. The scene was very hot,” she said. Authorities quickly responded to the fire, and the bus had to be towed away.

After the incident, Rocco called his mother to let her know he needed a ride. When she arrived, a police officer stopped her to reassure her about Rocco’s calmness. “They said he was the calmest kid they’d ever seen in a situation like that,” Stacy recalled.

Rocco himself was surprised by his own composure. “I didn’t freak out. I don’t know why,” he admitted later. But his mother wasn’t entirely shocked by his calm demeanor. As a skilled downhill racer who has won awards, Rocco is used to performing under pressure. “That’s the kind of kid he is,” Stacy said. “Nothing rattles him.”

She also noted that, in a way, she was relieved there weren’t other children on the bus. “They might’ve been scared,” she said. “Rocco knew what to do.”

For Rocco, this wasn’t the first time he’d smelled smoke on a school bus. However, both he and his mother hope it will be the last.