Underground vault fire in San Francisco closes busy intersection

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco firefighters were responding to an underground vault fire that prompted the closure of a busy intersection on Tuesday.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the fire department alerted the public about smoke being reported at Third and Mission streets. 

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A photo posted by the San Francisco Fire Department showed thick smoke billowing from a maintenance hole cover on the street.

The San Francisco Fire Department responded to an underground vault fire at Third and Mission streets on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

Fire officials closed off the intersection, and motorists were advised to seek alternate routes.

SFFD said the intersection would remain closed as its crews along with PG&E addressed the issue. 

The utility said that at this time, there was no power outage related to the incident, 

"The safety of our customers is PG&E’s primary responsibility," company spokesperson Melissa Subbotin told KTVU in a statement, adding, "Our crews quickly responded to the scene and worked with the San Francisco Fire Department to make the area safe and begin conducting initial assessments."

There's no word on how the fire started and no word of any injuries.