4 Puget Sound districts cancel school Tuesday over power outages, poor air quality
Sep 8, 2020, 7:34 AM | Updated: 11:11 am
Fires have been spreading across Western Washington Tuesday. (East Pierce Fire, Twitter)
(East Pierce Fire, Twitter)
Widespread power outages, as well as poor air quality brought on by several fires across Western Washington, have school canceled in Puyallup, Federal Way, Orting, and Sumner-Bonney Lake school districts.
As of 9:30 a.m., over 85,000 Puget Sound Energy customers are without power. In Federal Way, those outages are being cited as the primary reason for canceling school Tuesday.
“Due to widespread power outages impacting thousands of our scholars, families, staff and schools to access internet, the district and school buildings will be closed today,” the Federal Way School District said in a statement posted to its website. “We’ve contacted Puget Sound Energy and do not have an estimated time of repair.”
The Puyallup School District is also closed Tuesday due to outages, but will be distributing meals as planned at school sites between 11 a.m. and noon.
Orting’s school cancellation was driven partly by power outages, in addition to ongoing fires and air quality concerns. The district plans to resume Wednesday.
In Bonney Lake, a large brush fire on the hillside along Meyers Road Northeast had residents in the area ordered to evacuate. A Winco store in Sumner was also evacuated as a precaution.
Thanks to high winds and the fires in that area, it’s unclear when power will be restored.
Due to widespread power outage affecting thousands in Sumner/Bonney Lake, incl our schools, & no internet access, we need to cancel school today. W/high winds in forecast & fires in the area, we’re uncertain when power can be restored. We’ll msg as best we can w/limited internet.
— Sumner-Bonney Lake School District (@SumnerSchools) September 8, 2020
