Minor Injury To School Worker As A Result Of Explosion In School Basement

Tuesday afternoon at 4:00pm, local emergency services responded to a 911 report of a boiler explosion at Academy School in Guymon.

On Guymon Firefighters arrival, they found several school officials outside reporting that two small explosions occurred as they were preparing the boiler for the upcoming colder weather. “A maintenance worker leaving the boiler room was struck with the blow of the explosion through a doorway, then was struck again as he was running up the stairs to the nearest exit”, stated Assistant Fire Chief Grant Wadley. The worker reported seeking a flash of fire then feeling the explosions. No fire was located and any remaining gases in the boiler room had escaped through broken out windows from the explosions. At the same time Firefighters were looking for possible victims, school officials confirmed no one else was down stairs at the time of the incident. The school maintenance worker was treated and released at the scene by Fire Department Paramedics. No injures or damage was reported upstairs in any of the classrooms.

“School had already been dismissed from this building with only a few teachers and after school students still in their classrooms”, said Assistant Chief Wadley. The remaining teachers and students were being evacuated from the building by school officials as rescuers were arriving on scene. City Gas and Water department shut off all utility gas lines going into the school as rescue and investigation was being done. Fire Department officials cleared the basement quickly and allowed school officials to enter the boiler room to inspect for damages.

Cause of the explosion has not been determined at this time and estimated damage to the basement area will conducted by school officials. School officials have cancelled classes in this section of the build only for Wednesday.

Responding agencies to this incident included the Guymon Fire Department, Guymon Police Department, Texas County Sheriff Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations, Texas County Emergency Management, and City of Guymon Gas & Water department.