birmingham downtown power off fire vault traffic lights

Posted: Jun 26, 2019 / 08:18 PM CDT

Updated: Jun 27, 2019 / 12:03 AM CDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Update: All power has been restored in downtown Birmingham.

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Original: The Birmingham Fire Department has confirmed that a “significant portion of the north side of downtown” has lost power.

Officials say the cause of the power outage is from an electrical vault fire that happened earlier Wednesday.

Traffic lights are also out during this time making traffic “incredibly congested” according to fire officials. As of now, there is no estimated time when the power will be restored. 800 customers are currently without power.

The City of Birmingham is aware an underground electrical fire took place in Downtown Birmingham. Power was turned off to ensure public safety.

According to Alabama Power Company, the power will remain off through rush hour. Please avoid the area due to heavy traffic congestion
— City of Birmingham (@cityofbhamal) June 26, 2019

Affected areas include:

North/South: 1st Avenue South to 9th Avenue North
East/West: 18th street to Richard Arrington Blvd North

Stay tuned for updates.
— City of Birmingham (@cityofbhamal) June 26, 2019

UPDATE: Police units are coming in throughout the city for traffic control. Some intersections are already staffed. More officers will be in place shortly.
— City of Birmingham (@cityofbhamal) June 26, 2019

A small fire in our underground system has resulted in some customers without power in downtown Birmingham. We expect all customers to be back on by 8 pm. Please be safe if traveling near downtown.
— Alabama Power (@alabamapower) June 26, 2019