A temporary boiler system has been installed so that classes can resume on Tuesday.
HARRISON TWP. -- Clearview Regional School District will reopen Tuesday following a boiler blowout at the middle school last week.
The blowout occurred Thursday night and left the school with no heat. As a result, both the middle and high school were closed Friday. Both schools were closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
A portable boiler system was set up outside of the school over the weekend, explained district Superintendent John Horchak. That unit will serve the building until repairs can be made to the internal systems.
Inspectors have approved the temporary arrangement and final testing is being done now, Horchak reported midday Monday.
A pressure buildup between the outside gas line and an internal regulator in the boilers caused an audible boom heard throughout the building Thursday night, officials said.
The incident damaged five refrigerator-sized boiler units and knocked two roof-mounted exhaust fans off their bases. The blowout caused the metal housing around the boiler units to bow outward. The damaged boilers were installed in 2004.
No injuries were reported. Some students were in the building at the time and all were evacuated.
It's not clear yet if the boilers can be repaired or will have to be replaced. Investigators with the state and the district's insurance company are probing the cause and will determine what must be done next.
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.