An explosion tore through an apartment complex's electrical room in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday evening, sending flames and debris flying as firefighters investigated reports of smoke.
The incident occurred around 5:37 p.m. at an apartment complex located at 6400 S. 12th St. Firefighters responded to calls of an explosion and smoke emanating from an electrical conduit. Upon arrival, a fire crew forced open the door to the electrical room, from which thick smoke began to billow.
Seconds later, a powerful blast erupted from the doorway, shattering windows and sending debris outward. Firefighters quickly retreated from the immediate vicinity. The Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) reported that no firefighters or residents were injured in the event.
Fire alarms had sounded after a resident pulled a pull station, prompting crews to evacuate the buildings as a safety precaution. Eight buildings were evacuated indefinitely, with no active fire reported by the TFD. Officials stated that an electrical transformer malfunction was believed to have pushed smoke into multiple buildings.
Tacoma Public Utilities and fire investigators were on the scene to determine the cause of the malfunction and subsequent explosion. The explosion itself reportedly occurred in the electrical room after firefighters had shut off power to the building.
Residents displaced from their homes were temporarily sheltered at Hunt Middle School. The American Red Cross provided assistance to residents from the 600 building, which remained inaccessible while crews worked to restore power to the rest of the complex. Tacoma Public Utilities later cleared residents to return to all buildings except the 600 building as power restoration efforts continued.
The Tacoma Fire Department confirmed that the explosion remains under investigation.