It started with smoke and an alarm. It ended with an explosion, evacuated buildings, and dozens of Tacoma residents spending their Sunday evening at a middle school instead of at home.
Tacoma Fire crews were called to the 6400 block of South 12th Street at 5:37 p.m. after reports of an explosion at a residential apartment complex. When they arrived, they found smoke pushing out of an electrical conduit, with the building’s alarm system already activated after a resident pulled the fire alarm to warn neighbours. Investigators quickly determined the culprit: an electrical transformer malfunction that was forcing smoke into multiple buildings throughout the complex.
There was no active fire when crews arrived. For about 20 minutes, it appeared the situation might be contained. Then a second explosion occurred, and that calculation changed immediately. Firefighters began evacuating residents from the surrounding buildings without waiting to assess further.
In total, five buildings make up the affected complex. One was directly impacted by the incident, with approximately four units and 12 people displaced. The remaining four buildings lost power as a precaution and their residents were also asked to leave while crews and Tacoma Public Utilities staff assessed the full scope of the electrical damage. Those residents were cleared to return on Tuesday night, though the utility company continued evaluating whether additional power impacts were possible.
For the households most directly affected, the displacement lasted longer. Residents who could not return to their units were directed to Hunt Middle School, where American Red Cross Disaster Action Team responders set up an emergency support operation. The Red Cross provided food, water, temporary shelter, lodging assistance, clothing, health and emotional support services, and other immediate recovery resources to affected families as they waited for word on when, or whether, they could go home.
The cause of the transformer malfunction remains under investigation by Tacoma Fire and Tacoma Public Utilities. The Red Cross said it is continuing to work with local officials and community partners throughout the recovery.
