An underground fire in Midtown Atlanta last night caused a transformer to fail, resulting in a power outage for more than 2,000 customers. Fire crews responded around 7:21 p.m. to 11th Street and Crescent Avenue, where witnesses reported an explosion and a dislodged manhole cover, leading to the discovery of a small below-ground fire, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Georgia Power restored power by Tuesday morning, but the incident temporarily prevented residents, including Salomon Negash, from accessing their homes while safety perimeters were in place. Negash told WSBTV that he was relieved by the response but eager to return home.
In a related incident, a Gwinnett County neighborhood lost power for 24 hours after a tree fell on power lines, causing an explosion that residents heard. Neighbor John Grable told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau that while power outages are common during bad weather, he did not expect it to last a full day.
As power was restored to the Gwinnett County neighborhood on Monday, firefighters reminded residents of safety risks during outages. Captain Ryan McGiboney of Gwinnett County Fire Rescue advised caution with indoor heater use, noting they should be turned off when leaving the room, and highlighted the risk of slips and falls on icy areas near homes, according to Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau.
