A transformer box fire in downtown Baltimore prompted an evacuation early Friday, as reported by The Baltimore Sun. The incident unfolded around 10:30 a.m. when firefighters arrived at the 200 block of North Charles Street, finding the building in question—a structure housing Park Charles Apartments at 218 N. Charles Street—and coordinating with BGE to de-energize it, which facilitated the entry and investigation by the fire department.

Subsequently, an underground fire and explosion were said to have been registered near the vicinity around 10:50 a.m., an alarming sequel that escalated the urgency of the response, North Charles Street witnessed an interruption in its bustling activities, fire crews were marshaled and the area became a tableau of flashing lights and caution tape, according to WBAL.

The fire department has not reported any injuries amidst the event or the evacuation process. Details remain scant as Jane Ballentine, a BGE spokesperson, detailed BGE's active role in ensuring the safety of the responders by de-energizing the affected area, albeit the underlying cause of the fire remains under examination.

Focused efforts were directed towards a cluster of buildings, which included the prodigious The Grand—a sprawling 90,000-square-foot event space with a history as a former masonic temple—fire crews' attention was not divided but funneled into a scrutinizing gaze upon the site as they combated the underground blaze that shut down a significant section of North Charles Street in the heart of Baltimore's downtown district. While the situation is fluid, ongoing investigations aim to unearth the root of the fires and assure the public's safety.