Officials identify cause of transformer fire that closed busy part of downtown Durham

An electrical transformer fire in downtown Durham Wednesday night started after a contractor hit a power line while boring underground, officials said.

Division Chief Jeff Roberts identified the cause of the fire Thursday after the fire had been put out and roads in a busy downtown district had reopened.

Around 6:45 p.m., firefighters responded to a reported explosion near the 500 block of Rigsbee Avenue. Firefighters quickly discovered the electrical transformer had caught fire near a building under construction.

The fire department said a team of 28 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze. Photos from the fire department showed a towering wall of flames and a large plume of smoke surrounding the transformer.

The fire was put out after crews from Duke Energy arrived and secured power to the area. No one was injured, according to a statement from the fire department.

There was significant damage to the transformer.

CBS17 and WRAL reported that several blocks were closed during the explosion. The area is home to several restaurants and residential buildings and is a block from Durham Central Park.