This week, many Ohio schools shut down, citing below-freezing temps. Such low digits endanger youngens waiting for district buses. So, then, Todd Morris unexpectedly got the day off. He ran errands and picked up doughnuts from his favorite spot. Driving back through Jackson Township on Wednesday morning, though, he noticed smoke rising from a house on his bus route.
Morris quickly realized it wasn’t ordinary chimney smoke. The retired police officer and Jackson Local Schools bus driver recognized the house immediately. It belonged to a family whose children rode his bus every day. He worried the kids might be inside.
Without hesitation, Morris sprang into action. He called the nearby fire station directly from memory and reported the blaze. Then, he rushed toward the burning home to check for anyone inside.
“I was doing a search to find my kids,” Morris explained, referring to the two children he drives to school. Inside, he faced thick smoke and flames but pushed forward, calling out their names. Each time the smoke became overwhelming, he stepped outside to catch his breath before heading back in.
Fortunately, the family wasn’t home. The parents were working and their four children were at Grandma’s, the CantonRep said. Instead, the bus driver discovered the family’s two dogs at the bottom of the stairs. The pets were frozen in fear, so Morris carried one out and coaxed the other to safety. Once outside, he placed them in his truck to keep warm, even sharing the fresh doughnuts.
Emergency crews arrived shortly after, and Morris called his wife to bring leashes for the dogs. He also contacted the mother to explain the situation and assure her that the dogs were safe. Later, Morris took the pets home and cleaned them up. He learned that one of them had neuropathy, a condition that makes walking difficult. That evening, the family retrieved their dogs. Morris sent them home with supplies, including food, bowls, and toys.
The fire caused extensive damage to the home, leaving it unlivable. Their pet cat still seems unaccounted for. A GoFundMe campaign to help the family of six rebuild has already raised over $21,000 as of Friday morning.
The bus driver, who is also an Army veteran, really downplayed his actions. “I want to think I’ve done what every other person would have done when you see a family in need.”
