A video shows mysterious green flames erupting from a manhole on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock following an explosion in the area on Wednesday. Multiple buildings were quickly evacuated as fires and power outages were reported.
In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, Lubbock Fire Rescue said that firefighters responded to a “possible gas leak” at the 900 block of Boston Avenue at roughly 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Fire officials noted that after arriving on scene, the firefighters found “multiple manhole covers with active fire and smoke issuing from them.”
“Engine 4 quickly requested additional units to help to mitigate the rapidly escalating scene, and a second alarm was called by Battalion 1 for manpower,” Lubbock Fire Rescue stated. “This remains a very active scene as crews continue to assist Texas Tech University in mitigating this emergency.”
Lubbock Fire Rescue confirmed that no injuries were reported from Wednesday’s incident and that evacuations were “isolated to certain areas” on the Texas Tech campus. Fire officials added, “There is no need to evacuate the area if you are not on the campus.”
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According to The Associated Press, reports of an explosion on the campus that sparked multiple fires and power outages led Texas Tech officials to order the evacuation of multiple buildings and cancel the school’s remaining classes for the week. The outlet noted that an alert sent out at roughly 8:45 p.m. to individuals on the campus initially said the explosion occurred at a power substation; however, the campus later indicated that the explosion took place at a manhole.
While officials did not immediately identify the cause of the manhole explosion, Caitlynn Jeffries, a spokesperson for Texas Tech’s police department, explained that power would be shut down for the entire college campus to allow repairs to be made.
“You can go ahead and go home for Spring break,” Jeffries said. “We are closing school down for the next couple days.” In addition to sending students home early for the college’s break, Texas Tech faculty and staff members were also told to temporarily work remotely in light of Wednesday’s explosion and fires, according to The Associated Press.
A video shared on social media shows green flames repeatedly erupting from a manhole on the Texas Tech campus on Wednesday.
Another video and picture shared on social media show a major fire and a huge plume of smoke at the Texas Tech campus.
