Power cut to downtown core after electrical fire

Power was cut in downtown Toronto's core Saturday afternoon after a small fire broke out in an underground electrical room near Bay Street and Queen Street West.

The small blaze broke out around 1:30 p.m. It was quickly contained and no one was reported injured. But smoke and the necessary cleanup forced the closure of roads surrounding the scene.

Closed intersections included Bay and Dundas, Bay and Queen, Bay and Adelaide and Richmond and Yonge Streets.

Complicating the situation even more, power was cut off at about 3:30 p.m. to all buildings in a large area around the site, coverage about 10 city blocks.

Major downtown buildings, including the Eaton Centre, were left without power.

"What the concern is is the smoke, the smoke might be toxic," Toronto police Staff Sgt. David Simpkins told the Toronto Star.

Signal lights at intersections stopped working due to the power failure. Combined with the closed intersections, motorists faced traffic havoc.

The underground electrical room was filled with water as a result of firefighters' efforts. The room had to be drained before equipment could be repaired and electricity restored.

Simpkins said Saturday afternoon that "everything is contained" and the appropriate people were on the scene. He also said cleanup efforts were underway.

It is not clear what sparked the fire or what possible toxins may have been released.

Hospitals in the area were not affected by the power outage and subways reportedly kept running.