( CNN ) -- After noticing smoke seeping inside , a North Carolina bus driver rushed six elementary school children off her vehicle moments before it burst into flames . The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon as Lindora Richardson was driving the children home from Chantilly Montessori Elementary School , a public school in Charlotte , school district spokeswoman Tahira Stalberte said . `` We are very proud of her and for her following proper procedures , '' said Stalberte , speaking on behalf of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools , on Thursday . `` It could have taken a very different turn had she not done her job correctly . '' Richardson told Vinnie Politan of HLN , CNN 's sister network , that she was driving on her route through a Charlotte neighborhood when she detected a `` burning smell '' and pulled over to investigate . `` As that was going on , smoke started to come from under the dash of the bus , '' she recalled . At that point , Richardson guided the young students on board to the back of the bus . Describing the children as `` calm , '' she said that they exited `` one-by-one '' through the rear emergency exit . The bus driver said she and the students , ages 5 to 10 , then `` walked so far up the street '' where they witnessed the smoke and flames engulf the vehicle . Video , posted on YouTube and apparently taken after the students had moved to a safe place , shows black smoke seeping out of open windows on the bus , as it sits along a residential street . Flames are then clearly visible creeping backwards from the front of the bus . Within just over a minute , fire had consumed about half the vehicle -- and shot up through the roof . There are no injuries related to the incident , Stalberte said . While describing Richardson as modest , the school district spokeswoman said that she deserves praise -- and she 'll get some next week , when she is honored by the Charlotte Fire Department . `` I do have two kids , and I do love children , ( and ) I love my job , '' Richardson said of the satisfaction she gets working as a bus driver . CNN 's Greg Botelho contributed to this report .
A Charlotte bus driver sees smoke and evacuates his passengers . Soon thereafter , the bus goes up in flames . No one was hurt , a school district spokeswoman said .