The aftermath of the fire on Route 33. 

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign trail quite literally went up in flames when her tour bus caught fire on Route 33, just days before voters head to the polls in her heated race for governor.

The Greene County Office of Emergency Services said the bus caught fire shortly after 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, along Route 33 (Spotswood Trail).

“We are grateful to report that the bus driver, who was the only occupant at the time, was not injured,” officials said. “One firefighter sustained an injury while operating at the scene but was treated and released by Greene County EMS.”

Route 33 was briefly shut down while crews battled the flames, but traffic later resumed as normal.

Earle-Sears confirmed the incident in a post on X.

“While en-route to an event, our campaign bus caught fire. Everyone is safe. Thank you to the first responders who got to the scene quickly — we are so grateful for you.”

The fire came at a tense moment in Virginia politics. 

Earle-Sears, the state’s first Black woman elected to statewide office, is in a contentious gubernatorial race against Democrat Abigail Spanberger.

Spanberger publicly responded just hours later, saying she was “relieved” everyone was safe.

“I’m grateful to our first responders for their quick action — and I’m thinking of the Lt. Governor and her team after this scary incident,” she wrote.

While the cause of the blaze has not yet been released, the optics of the fiery crash couldn’t be more symbolic in a race that has tightened in the final stretch before Election Day.

Fire officials praised the quick work of local departments and emergency personnel, calling their handling of the situation “professional.”

As for the campaign — the race remains hot, and the trail doesn’t appear to be cooling off anytime soon before Tuesday's election.