Methanol Blast in Class Sends 23 to Hospital

About two dozen students were examined at a hospital Tuesday after a container of methanol exploded in a chemistry class, showering students with shards of glass.

The teacher and 22 students from East Bakersfield High School were treated for cuts, headaches and nausea, said Capt. Tomas Patlan of the Kern County Fire Department. All the injuries were considered minor.

The county hospital is across the street from the campus.

“We sent virtually anybody with a nick or scrape. We kind of forced everybody to go in and get checked,” said John Gibson, the school principal.

The teacher’s hand was stitched and four students also received stitches. Sixteen students returned to school after treatment and others were picked up by parents, Gibson said.

“They were never, never panicked. They were kind of looking out for each other. We’re really proud of that,” he said.

There were 33 students in the class at the time of the 8 a.m. blast, Gibson said.

Two milliliters of flammable methanol in a clear glass bottle “about the size of a Sparkletts water bottle” caused the accident, Patlan said.

“It reached its explosive limits real quick and it was ignited by a spark. The students were at a pretty safe distance, but some were cut by shards,” Patlan said.

The teacher was using the methanol to conduct a routine demonstration when the bottle exploded, Gibson said.