Underground ComEd transformer fire cuts power to thousands in Chicago's South Loop

An underground electrical fire involving a ComEd transformer occurred in a manhole near the intersection of LaSalle Street and Harrison Street in the South Loop area of Chicago on the afternoon of 14 May 2020. Firefighters responded to the blaze, which caused scattered power outages affecting about 3,500 customers and halted southbound Metra rail traffic in the vicinity. The Chicago Fire Department reported the fire extinguished at around 6pm, roughly an hour after it was reported. No injuries were reported. ComEd crews attended the scene and used generators to restore power to roughly 3,000 of the affected customers, with the remaining 500 expected to be restored by 11pm that night. An investigation into the cause of the fire was reported to be underway at the time of publication.

Not reported beyond the fire occurring in underground equipment in a manhole; the specific technical cause was under investigation at the time of reporting.

1. Underground electrical infrastructure faults can rapidly disrupt power to large numbers of customers in dense urban areas, and can also affect rail services drawing on the same network.
2. Rapid coordination between fire services and utility crews can reduce restoration times following equipment fires.
3. Temporary generation can be an effective interim measure to restore service to most affected customers while full repairs are completed.

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