Bert Kreischer‘s tour bus fire in North Dakota came after a bizarre tire blowout the night before forced the crew to abandon the vehicle on the side of the highway … TMZ has learned.

Rob Greenwald, Bert’s rep, tells TMZ … the trouble started in the early hours of Sunday morning while the bus was traveling from Fargo to Cedar Rapids. The front right tire suddenly blew out and completely tore off the rim. We’re told the bus didn’t hit anything, and the drivers — who each have about 35 years of experience — said they’d never seen anything like it.

The bus pulled over along Interstate 94 during a snowstorm, and the group waited a couple hours trying to arrange a replacement tire. When none could be delivered overnight, Kreischer and others on the trip continued to Cedar Rapids on two separate crew buses. The disabled bus stayed behind with the driver, who waited on the highway for help.

Greenwald says around 11 AM Sunday, while the driver was sitting inside the bus waiting for the tire delivery, he heard a loud popping sound coming from the front roof area. Within seconds the vehicle filled with smoke.

The driver quickly exited, and the bus was soon engulfed in flames. We’re told the front portion of the bus was burned and unrecognizable, while the back mainly suffered smoke damage.

Greenwald says the group feels incredibly lucky because they normally sleep in the back of the bus and could have been trapped if the fire started while they were inside.