Chandler Sunset Library is set to fully reopen Monday

By Matthew Casey
Published: Sunday, February 13, 2022 - 11:30pm

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Chandler Sunset Library
Kerry Fehr-Snyder/KJZZ
Chandler Sunset Library on Dec. 27, 2021.

A Chandler library damaged by an explosion at a neighboring print shop is set to fully reopen on Feb. 14, more than five months after the blast.

The explosion at Platinum Printing sent four people to the Arizona Burn Center.

Next door, at Sunset Library, there was roof damage, a water-main break and ruined books. Administrative Librarian Sue Van Horne was sitting in her office and listening to a co-worker when the blast occurred.

“It’s a wonder that no one in the library was actually hurt because of the stuff that was falling out of the ceiling at the time,” she said in a Jan. 24 interview.

Chandler relied on its insurance provider to pay to fix the damage and to also decide whether to seek compensation from Southwest Gas.

The company told state regulators in September a crack in a pipe that can deteriorate under certain conditions was found nearby.