The Tulsa Fire Marshal's Office has determined a massive fire that destroyed the Barnard Elementary School building was caused by a construction project.
Eight firefighters were hospitalized with burn injuries to their faces, hands and legs after two explosions erupted from the school's chemistry lab shortly after crews arrived at 5 a.m. on Sept. 5.
Investigators found the cause of the fire was accidental and the origin to be the installation site of a vent in a lab area, according to a release Friday. The fire had been smoldering in the crawl space above the lab's ceiling for hours.
The explosions were caused by an increase in oxygen to fuel the fire, a backdraft, after firefighters entered the school's chemistry lab.
Tulsa Public Schools leased the building, located at 2324 E. 17th St., to a charter high school it sponsors, the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, less than three weeks before the fire.
The Tulsa Fire Department received assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and its National Response Team, which department officials called "tremendously helpful" in the probe.
Without them, "it would have taken weeks longer to do what we did," said Capt. Stan May, public information officer. "The investigation into how it started and how the explosions happened is going to help us in our training."
The department plans to train firefighters to recognize circumstances similar to those that caused the explosions and will review safety protocols to prevent injuries.
Eric Doss, school director at Arts and Sciences, said that the day before the fire, its contractor, Magnum Construction, had been installing a ventilation pipe from the ceiling of the school's chemistry lab to the roof. He said it is standard for chemistry labs to have special ventilation to help remove odors and gases.
Arts and Sciences has announced it will hold classes at the former Sequoyah Elementary School at 3441 E. Archer St. for the remainder of the school year. TPS is evaluating the Barnard site's future.
"The district continues to explore its options with the Barnard property and we are still in information-gathering mode, working in conjunction with TSAS and our insurance companies," said TPS Superintendent Keith Ballard. "In the coming weeks, the TPS board will make a decision as to how we will proceed with the property."
Ballard expressed appreciation for the Tulsa Fire Department and the ATF and said the district continues to remain concerned about the injured firefighters.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
