Stamford Government Center Basement Transformer Catches Fire

A fire in the basement of the around 3:50 p.m. this afternoon caused the evacuation of the building.

The event occurred while the graduation was taking place, and Mayor Michael Pavia had to make an impromptu exit.

"We're going to have to cut the power and assess the situation," said the mayor on scene. "It's not looking good."

Assistant Fire Chief William Smith said no one was injured and the evacuation of the center went smoothly. Smoke had been pouring out of the air-vent grates outside, he said, one of the visible cues for firefighters outside as to the status of the situation.

"There were no injuries. Evacuation procedures began from the top floor and worked their way down," he said. "Because this is a government building and everyone's been schooled on evacuation procedure, things went smoother than most places may have."

Emergency personnel couldn't enter the basement vault where the transformer caught fire until the power was cut and the situation assessed by CL&P administrators and an all-clear was given.

The Smith said they would have to wait until later this evening to find out if the building would be open in the morning. During the situation, electricity was being provided by generators.