Underground Fire and Reported Explosions Prompt Road Closures, Power Outages in Midtown Atlanta Overnight

Emergency response centered near 11th Street and Crescent Avenue

Atlanta fire crews and police responded Monday night to reports of explosions and an underground fire in Midtown, near the intersection of 11th Street NE and Crescent Avenue NE. The area is surrounded by apartment buildings and a dense cluster of restaurants and other businesses, putting a heavily traveled corridor at the center of the response.

When firefighters arrived, bystanders reported hearing explosions before crews located a small fire underground. One witness reported that a manhole cover blew off in the moments leading up to the response.

Fire officials said the underground fire was no longer active after crews investigated, but warned that power below ground remained live.

Power remained live underground as outages spread locally

Even after the flames were no longer visible, the scene remained hazardous because energized electrical infrastructure was still present below the street. Georgia Power crews responded to the location while police restricted traffic nearby and asked the public to avoid the area.

Roughly 1,500 customers in the surrounding area lost electricity during the incident. A utility restoration estimate issued during the response projected power could return around 9:15 p.m., though restoration timelines can shift as field conditions and system checks evolve.

What “underground explosions” can mean in Midtown

Midtown’s underground utility network includes electrical vaults, transformers, and cabling that can fail in ways that produce loud reports, smoke, and pressure events at street level. In prior Midtown incidents, electrical equipment failures beneath streets and sidewalks have been associated with explosion-like sounds and smoke venting through grates or manholes, sometimes prompting initial 911 calls reporting blasts.

Monday night’s call involved reports of explosions followed by confirmation of a small underground fire. Officials had not publicly detailed a specific cause or any equipment failure mechanism during the initial response window.

What is confirmed so far

• Firefighters responded to reports of explosions near 11th Street NE and Crescent Avenue NE and located a small underground fire.

• Fire officials said the fire was no longer active after investigation, but underground power remained live.

• Police blocked traffic near the scene and asked the public to avoid the area.

• Approximately 1,500 customers were reported without power, with a preliminary restoration estimate of around 9:15 p.m.

The incident remained under active assessment as crews secured the area and utility workers evaluated underground infrastructure before full access and normal traffic flow could safely resume.