Video footage has emerged capturing the moment an explosion occurred in an electrical room of a Washington apartment complex on Sunday. The blast sent flames and debris flying toward firefighters who were responding to reports of smoke.
In the video, Tacoma firefighters can be seen prying open the electrical room door, after which thick smoke poured out. A moment later, a strong explosion erupted from the doorway, breaking windows and scattering vertical blinds and debris as firefighters quickly evacuated the premises.
Interestingly, the person filming briefly turned away right after the explosion. When the camera refocused, it showed the firefighters checking on each other and retreating from the damaged area.
The Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) later confirmed that there were no injuries among firefighters or residents.
Firefighters were alerted to the apartment complex at 6400 S. 12th St. around 5:37 p.m., following reports of an explosion and smoke emerging from electrical conduits.
After residents triggered the fire alarm, the alarm went off, prompting crews to evacuate the building as a safety measure.
TFD indicated that eight buildings were evacuated for an indefinite period, noting there were no active fires at the scene.
Authorities mentioned that a faulty transformer was to blame for the smoke that spread to multiple buildings, and both Tacoma Public Works and fire investigators are looking into the incident.
The residents were temporarily taken to Hunt Middle School for safety.
According to TFD’s follow-up, the explosion occurred in the electrical room after firefighters had already cut off power to the building.
They emphasized that the explosion happened in that room, and Tacoma Public Works is continuing to determine the cause.
Meanwhile, the power company has allowed residents to return to all but 600 buildings as crews work to restore electricity. The American Red Cross is also offering assistance to those evacuated.
The investigation into the explosion remains ongoing.
