Underground fire causes power outages in Midtown Atlanta
Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department crews are investigating an underground electrical fire and reported explosions near the intersection of 11th Street and Crescent Avenue to ensure public safety on January 26, 2026. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - An underground fire left over 2,000 people without power in Midtown Atlanta on Monday night.
What we know:
Fire crews responded to the scene at 11th Street and Crescent Avenue around 7:21 p.m. Bystanders reported hearing an explosion, and another person said a nearby cover was blown off.
Firefighters found a small underground fire that caused a transformer to blow. The flames have since been put out. Georgia Power has also responded to restore power knocked out by the incident.
According to the outage map, about 2,766 customers in the area are without power. Officials said the estimated restoration time is between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
What we don't know:
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the underground fire.
What they're saying:
Salomon Negash, who lives near where the fire occurred, was away getting groceries when the explosion happened. When Nash came home, he said he couldn't return to his apartment because officials had blocked all entrances to his building.
"I'm glad they're here, so I don't have to worry about it, but I just want to get home," Negash said. "I'm tired. I want to go to sleep."
The Source: Information in this article comes from Georgia Power and Atlanta police and fire rescue.