Tallahassee Restores Power After Underground Electrical Fire Disrupts Downtown

An underground electrical fire disrupted downtown Tallahassee early Tuesday, prompting road closures and a planned power outage while crews made repairs, according to the City of Tallahassee in an update reported by the Tallahassee Democrat.

The Tallahassee Fire Department responded around 5:15 a.m. to a fire alarm at the Leon County Courthouse and found several fires in roadways near Monroe Street, Apalachee Parkway and Calhoun Street, the city said. Officials said early reports of a possible gas leak were ruled out and the incident was linked to an underground electrical fire, with the heaviest impacts on Monroe Street between Jefferson Street and Apalachee Parkway in an area where a Florida Department of Transportation paving project was under way.

Power and roads recovering

The city said all fires were extinguished and the exact cause remains under investigation. Power was restored by about 1 p.m., and by about 3:20 p.m. almost all roads had been patched and reopened, including Monroe Street, according to the city update. Calhoun Street remained closed at that time and was expected to reopen later in the day.

Multiple agencies remained on scene during the response, including fire, police, city electric and underground utilities crews, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Capitol Police and FDOT, the city said. Generators were installed at key intersections where traffic signals were affected.

Reporting based on coverage by the Tallahassee Democrat.