Dramatic footage shows an explosion ripping through an electrical room at a Washington state apartment complex Sunday, blasting flames and debris toward firefighters who were checking reports of smoke.
The video, recorded in Tacoma, shows firefighters working to force open the electrical room door as heavy smoke begins pouring out.
Moments later, a violent blast erupted through the doorway, breaking windows and hurling vertical blinds and debris into the air as crews quickly backed away from the building.
The person filming briefly pulled the camera away in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
As the video steadied again, firefighters were seen checking on each other and moving clear of the damaged structure.
The Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) later confirmed that no residents or firefighters were hurt.
Crews were called at about 5:37 p.m. to the apartment complex at 6400 S. 12th St. after reports of an explosion and smoke coming from an electrical conduit, the department said.
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Fire alarms activated after a resident pulled the alarm, and firefighters began evacuating buildings as a safety precaution.
“Eight buildings evacuated indefinitely. No active fire,” the TFD said in an update on X.
Officials said an electrical transformer malfunction pushed smoke into multiple buildings while Tacoma Public Utilities and fire investigators worked to determine the cause.
Apartment residents were temporarily sheltered at Hunt Middle School.
In a later update, the department said the explosion occurred inside the electrical room after firefighters shut off power to the building.
“Explosion occurred in the electrical room where firefighters shut power off to the building,” the Tacoma Fire Department wrote on X. Tacoma Public Utilities continued investigating the cause of the blast.
The utility later cleared residents to return to every building except the 600 building while crews worked to restore power. The American Red Cross assisted residents displaced from that building.
The Tacoma Fire Department said the explosion remained under investigation.
