A dramatic video captured an explosion inside the electrical room of a Washington state apartment complex on Sunday, with flames and debris shooting toward firefighters as they responded to reports of smoke.
The intense footage from Tacoma shows firefighters prying open the electrical room door as dense smoke pours out. Moments later, a forceful blast bursts through the entrance, breaking windows and hurling vertical blinds and debris as crews quickly pull back from the building.
The person filming briefly moved the camera away in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. When the scene came back into view, firefighters were seen checking on each other and stepping away from the damaged structure.
An explosion occurred moments after Tacoma firefighters opened the door to an apartment complex electrical room while investigating smoke reports. The blast sent flames and debris toward the crew, though officials said no injuries were reported. (Credit: Joe D via Storyful)
The Tacoma Fire Department later confirmed that no residents or firefighters were hurt.
Crews were dispatched 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. Fire alarms were activated after a resident pulled the alarm, and responders began evacuating buildings out of caution.
“Eight buildings evacuated indefinitely. No active fire,” the department wrote in an update posted on X.
Firefighters and a police officer responded Sunday to an apartment complex in Tacoma, Washington, after an explosion led officials to evacuate several buildings. (Tacoma Fire Department X)
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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.
Firefighters and a police officer responded to an apartment complex in Tacoma, Wash., where an explosion prompted the evacuation of multiple buildings. (Tacoma Fire Department X)
“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.
