La Vina Farmworkers Honored for Saving Students From Burning School Bus

LA VINA, Madera County — Two farmworkers were honored by the Madera County Board of Supervisors on November 25, 2025, after an emergency involving a school bus near Avenue 8 and Road 23½ in La Vina.

According to the county’s official account, Carlos Perea Romero and Angel Zarco were fixing a tractor when they noticed thick smoke at the back of a school bus. They rushed to alert the driver and helped evacuate the students. Moments later the rear of the bus erupted in flames. The county reported that every student escaped without injury.

A local recognition, not an invented new emergency

The supervisors issued a proclamation recognizing the men for their actions. The incident occurred in October 2025, and the recognition took place the following month. This retrospective is published in November 2026 because the story remains an example of how neighbors can respond quickly to danger; it does not mean another bus caught fire this week.

The county also highlighted the part played by the bus driver. The published release does not establish a technical cause of the fire or the name of a particular school bus company. For school transport safety, families should rely on their district’s verified instructions.

Official source: Madera County — Supervisors Honor Heroic Farmworkers (November 25, 2025).

Prepared by the California58 Newsroom from the cited public records. Illustrative photo, not documentation of the described event or location. Photo: Charles Nouwen / Unsplash.

YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER NEEDS YOU

Help this community newspaper grow

Your support helps build coverage for the people and places this local newspaper serves.

Donate once by card ↗

Help La Vina News grow Help strengthen reporting on La Vina: community voices, important decisions and local life.

Support La Vina News

Choose how to support La Vina News:

Credit / Debit Card via Stripe

Choose an amount from $1. One-time support through the publisher's LINKERNO Stripe account.

Continue with PayPal Continue with Zelle

Zelle payments go to Vitaly Ataev Troshin. Please verify the recipient in your bank before sending. Availability depends on your bank.

Optional reader support. When possible, add “La Vina News” to the payment note. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible. Support does not influence editorial decisions.

Optional support through the publisher. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible and never buy editorial influence.

La Vina News — Your Community Newspaper

Have a correction, news tip, local announcement, or story to submit? Contact our editorial team. All submissions are reviewed before publication.