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.

The explosion came from a manhole on campus near a substation, causing power outages in the area and at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, officials said.

Texas Tech University sent students on an early spring break after spurts of green flames shot out from manholes on campus on Wednesday night. The source was an explosion at a substation that caused widespread outages across campus and the university's Health Sciences Center.