Downtown fire leaves thousands of Calgarians without power

Damage to underground electrical infrastructure (photo: ENMAX)

A section of downtown Calgary, spanning several blocks, could be without power for up to a week.

A Saturday evening underground electrical fire has left upwards of 5,000 residents and nearly 2,000 businesses in the dark.

According to Enmax, as of Sunday morning, the power is out between:

Traffic signals are not operating at 19 downtown intersections and CTrain service was halted for several hours, but has since resumed.

At approximately 8:20 pm Saturday, several loud explosions emanated throughout the western edge of the downtown core. The fire occurred in a manhole at the intersection of 8 Ave. and 5 St. S.W. and destroyed underground electrical infrastructure.

Emergency crews have been on the scene throughout the night and remain downtown. The Calgary Fire Department monitored air quality in the hours following the explosion.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Anyone affected by the power outage is advised to unplug their electronics to avoid damage from a possible electrical surge when power is restored.

Power is expected to be restored to the majority of residents by Thursday. Complete restoration of electrical service should be completed by next weekend.

Calgarians can charge their electronics and receive updated information on the progress of the power restoration effort at the Mewata Armoury (801 11 St. S.W.)

A twitter hashtag of #YYCThanks has been created where Calgarians can offer help to people impacted by the outage.

Phone service in the area has been impacted. In the event of an emergency, residents are asked to use their cell phone or borrow a cell phone to call 911.

According to the City of Calgary website "there is also a security perimeter in place staffed by Calgary Police Service between 6 Street SW and 11 Street SW and 4 Avenue SW and 7 Avenue SW due to many major intersections currently being without power. While people are allowed in and out of the area within the security perimeter, Calgary Police are in place to ensure public safety."