A fire that sparked underground in downtown Baltimore on Saturday is under investigation.

Just before 3 p.m. Saturday, the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to the area of E Baltimore St and Guilford Ave for reports of a fire. 

"They saw smoke coming from the scene and then shortly after arrival, they saw fire coming out as well," Baltimore Fire Deputy Chief Khalilah Yancey told WJZ's Kaicey Baylor. "Then, it shortly dissipated, and they felt like it probably burned itself out."

When officials arrived, they reported smoke from four manholes, prompting them to request additional assistance.

BGE responded to the scene to isolate and deenergize the area while the Maryland Transportation Authority was also notified.

BCFD is working to determine the cause of the fire.

"Right now, we don't have a timeframe on when this investigation will conclude, but we will have our units diligently working to find the cause of the fire," Deputy Chief Yancey said.

Roads had been closed within a one-block radius of the incident.

The Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management advised residents, visitors, and patrons to avoid the area.

No injuries or damage have been reported.

Visitor and business impact

Tiesha James, the general manager of The Empanada Lady, said the restaurant had a full staff at the time of the underground fire.

"I look up the block and there's black smoke everywhere," James said.

She reported that during the incident, the TVs inside the restaurant and the WiFi went out,  evoking a series of thoughts that were running through her head.

"Oh my God! Do I have to get these people out of here? How can I keep my staff safe?" she asked herself.

A busy Saturday full of excitement quickly turned into fear for James, especially when learning the fire just feet away could have been worse.

"We were told that right here, where we're standing that one of these manholes could blow off," she said. "Nothing happened. Thank God."

James said they were able to conduct business as usual and kept customers away from the windows.

At the same time, a downtown visitor struggled to retrieve her car at the scene.

"We're just kind of wandering around the city trying to find something to do until we can get in," Indya Younger, a Baltimore County resident, said.

Younger said she's waited for her car for hours after coming downtown for a bite to eat.

"It's exhausting because the heat, for one," Younger said. "And there's no way, real way, of knowing when it's going to be over, how much longer we're going to be here."

Previous Baltimore City underground fire

An underground fire on North Charles Street prompted power outages and road closures in September of 2024.

Three businesses and about 2,100 BGE customers were impacted by the outage.

The fire heavily damaged Viva Books, and other businesses on the block were unable to reopen.

According to fire officials, crews found multiple fires coming from manhole covers.

Similar fires have sparked in that area of North Charles Street in January and June of 2024.