Underground fire causes SEPTA to suspend El service from 30th Street to Spring Garden stations

Service on SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line is suspended between 30th Street and Spring Garden stations due to an underground transformer fire, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia-based transit authority said Wednesday. 

SEPTA says the fire started just after 3 p.m. and caused a power outage from 30th Street to Spring Garden stations. No injuries have been reported.

Chopper 3 was over Center City at Suburban Station, where a large first responder response was spotted as smoke billowed from underground near the Clothespin Sculpture. 

SEPTA says shuttle buses are operating at 30th Street and Spring Garden stations, and delays up to 30 minutes are possible because of power issues. Passengers can also take the Route 21 bus on Walnut Street or the T lines as alternatives.

On social media, SEPTA says the B line (Broad Street Line) is bypassing the City Hall station. Trolleys are running, but are also bypassing City Hall. Regional Rail hasn't been affected by the fire.

The fire happened as thousands of people were heading home during rush hour in the city, and it could impact Thursday's commute. 

"We'll have to evaluate what, if any, damage exists, how long this could take to repair, but this could continue through the morning rush," MaryAnn Tierney, the chief officer of SEPTA's Control Center, said.

Henry Demyan works in the City Hall area and saw smoke coming from underground when he was heading home.

"I've kind of given up at this point. I'm going to take one of the bikeshares home, and I hope everyone is safe," he said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.