Texas Tech University closes campus ahead of spring break after explosion triggers fires
The campus of Texas Tech University will be closed Thursday and Friday, as well as all of next week for spring break, after a manhole explosion apparently sparked a series of fires around campus Wednesday night, triggering power outages and evacuations.
Texas Tech police and Lubbock Fire Rescue officials offered updates during a news conference after 10 p.m. Wednesday, warning the public to stay away from the campus as the situation remained active.
Caitlynn Jeffries, a public information officer, for the Texas Tech Police Department, said the incident began around 7 p.m. with an explosion in a manhole near the engineering key in the central part of campus.
"This explosion did cause a power outage across Texas Tech University, including the Health Sciences Center," Jeffries said. "We did evacuate the engineering key and we're asking that all public and unofficial personnel please avoid campus at this time."
Lubbock Fire Rescue said on social media Wednesday night that no injuries have been reported.
Lawrence Schovanec, the university's president, said in an email shared with the campus community late Wednesday night that an explosion "occurred in a tunnel, causing a fire."
Manhole explosion also led to power outages, closure of campus
Schovanec also said the fire spread, which caused power outages on Texas Tech's campus, and that electricity and gas were shut down across both the Texas Tech and Health and Sciences Center campuses in Lubbock to keep the fire from spreading further.
"The fire was successfully extinguished Wednesday evening," he said in the email, adding that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"To allow for the thorough check of campus infrastructure and ensure our campus community's safety, we will close campus on Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14. All classes will be canceled, and all non-essential personnel should work remotely if they are able to. This includes Texas Tech University System Administration employees. Human Resources will follow up with an email regarding work arrangements," read Schovanec's email.
An emergency notification on the university's website, which was sent at 11:11 p.m. Wednesday, says the power remains out on campus, however barricades are being removed and students are allowed in the residence halls.
A new notification was sent Thursday morning stating that while the power has been restored to some areas of campus, the university remains closed Thursday and Friday and that students who live on campus will receive additional communication regarding housing and dining accommodations. The alert also said to continue to avoid the area around the Engineering Key until further notice.
Lubbock Fire Rescue said on social media Thursday morning that rescue crews remain on scene at the university conducting "atmospheric monitoring of subsurface utility vaults," and that crews will continue to assist university officials until all potential hazards are mitigated.
This story was updated to include new information.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.