Downtown fire prompts evacuations, creates thick smoke

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Fire crews rushed to a busy downtown intersection Wednesday afternoon after a transformer exploded into flames. The fire created a massive black smoke cloud that could be seen for miles.

The explosion occurred near what's commonly referred to as the Gold Building at Ohio and Delaware around 2 p.m. The fire was put out around 3:15 p.m.

No injuries were reported, but about 1,000 people had to be evacuated from the Gold Building.

Firefighters say they had to remove seven people because of pre-existing health conditions.

Ginny Suever was working inside the Gold Building when she and her co-workers heard the explosion.

"We were at our desks working and we heard a pop. All of the power shut off and we were kind of like 'What's going on,' and then we heard the security guard get on the loud speaker and say 'Evacuate the building'," Suever recalled.

Charlie and Barney's, a restaurant next to the Gold Building, sustained smoke and window damage.

A similar incident happened New Year's Eve 2004 at the same location. In 2004, People reported seeing flames shooting up the buildings.

The explosion knocked out power to three buildings, 151 Delaware, Old Indiana National Bank and 225 East Ohio.

Firefighters had to go inside to see if there were any injuries and those inside were forced to evacuate.

Wednesday, an IPL spokeswoman told 24-Hour News 8 that the underground transformers are owned privately, but power was cut off by IPL to protect the firefighters.

Two of the transformers -- including the one that caught fire in 2004 -- have been rebuilt. The one that caught fire Wednesday was not.

It's a spot with a dangerous history, that power officials and firefighters are aware of.

IPL says there are 300 of these transformers downtown-- and it owns and maintains most of them.