The bus carrying Eastern’s softball team back from Birmingham, Ala. on Sunday blew out one of its tires and caught on fire, said Eastern head softball coach Kim Schuette.

The incident happened shortly before 5 p.m., with the team traveling on Interstate 65 and still in Alabama.

Schuette said the tire blew out, and she and the bus driver went to check out the situation. Schuette said flames were coming from underneath the bus and she called 911.

The small fire was put out, and the team and players went to a truck stop nearby.

No players were hurt and no equipment was damaged.

Schuette said at 7:45 p.m. that the team had managed to secure another bus to take home and expected to leave the Birmingham area by 9 p.m.

The damaged bus belonged to Peoria Charter Company and the new bus was from the Birmingham area, Schuette said.

A trip from Birmingham to Charleston takes about nine hours.

The bus incident culminated a weekend of adventure for the Panther softball team.

When the team arrived Friday night in Birmingham at the Drury Inn, the hotel Eastern stayed at, the hotel did not have room reservations for Eastern.

Schuette said she called the hotel last week to confirm the reservations and also did on Wednesday.

However, Schuette said the hotel had nine rooms available, so the team was able to stay there.