Black smoke rising from the river near the Adelaide Street Bridge this afternoon turned out to be way more serious than your typical fire call.

According to the London Fire Department, fire crews were called to Adelaide and Ada Street at the bridge after witnesses spotted the smoke coming from the river area. What they found: someone had cut through a large 4-inch live hydro feed, and it was on fire.

London Fire immediately contacted London Hydro to shut down the electrical feed before firefighters could move in to extinguish the blaze.

The incident caused some traffic disruptions. One northbound lane of Adelaide Street is closed for safety reasons, but both southbound lanes and one northbound lane remain open to keep traffic moving.

London Hydro crews are currently on scene working to repair the damaged line. Expect a significant power outage in the surrounding area while repairs are completed.

The London Fire Department also issued a safety reminder about tampering with electrical infrastructure. Cutting or interfering with live hydro lines poses serious risks that can be fatal.

High voltage cables carry enough electrical energy to cause severe burns, electrocution, or explosions. Damaging hydro infrastructure can also spark large fires and create widespread power outages that affect entire neighbourhoods.

Fire crews, hydro workers, and traffic management all had to coordinate to safely resolve the situation.

How the power line was cut isn’t clear from the fire department’s report. The focus has been on managing the immediate hazards and restoring power to affected areas.

If you’re heading through the Adelaide Street area, expect delays and plan an alternate route if possible while repair work continues.