Mechanical Room Explosion Closes Schools

A powerful explosion at a high school in Washington state on Wednesday closed the city of Blaine’s public schools for Thursday, and the high school for an undetermined length of time, city officials said.

The cause of the blast was unknown, according to a report from The Bellingham Herald, but it occurred in a mechanical room that houses electrical breakers and equipment for the building’s fire-suppression system and district-wide internet services. The force of the blast damaged walls and the ceiling at the school.

“It was significant enough to basically decimate the interior of that room,” the school superintendent said. “It blew the doors out of the panels and moved the interior walls out and into the adjoining classrooms by a distance of 6 to 12 inches.”

No injuries were reported, and structural and electrical engineers and insurance adjusters were evaluating damage. 

An electrical surge from the explosion tripped a fuse at the city’s power station, knocking out electricity to about 600 customers