A massive orange fireball shot out of a hydro substation in East York overnight Tuesday, cutting off power for thousands of homes.
Flames broke out after 1:30 a.m. on Fairside Avenue, near Coxwell and Mortimer Avenues in the east end.
It took 70 firefighters to get the flames under control. The heat from the fire was so intense that it melted the plastic on garbage bins down the street.
At the peak of the three-alarm blaze, 3,000 homes and businesses were in the dark. In total, a nine-block area was without heat or lights for up to five hours.
Several residents were evacuated and placed on a TTC bus. There are no reports of injuries.
There is some damage to a home just north of the substation but for the most part, the fire was contained to the vault only.
Toronto East General Hospital, which is a block away from the fire scene, managed to stay up and running through the entire time with a generator. The majority of the power to the area has been restored.
Police say the cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, but it does not appear to be suspicious.
