Texas Tech forced to cancel classes days before spring break as neon green manhole explosions knock out campus power

An explosion on the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock set off fires and power outages Wednesday, leading school officials to issue evacuation orders for several buildings and cancel classes for the rest of the week.

An alert sent to the campus community around 8:45 p.m. described the explosion as occurring at a substation but a later update said it was at a manhole. -- More...

BREAKING: Green flames rise from a manhole at Texas Tech Campus in Lubbock. Lubbock Fire Rescue says it’s responding to “multiple fires” on campus and buildings have been evacuated in the area - KCBD

pic.twitter.com/S9Sr4CaAqg

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 13, 2025