Underground transformer explodes, prompting smoke to billow from the ground downtown

Twin plumes of smoke came pouring out of sidewalk grates along Market Street late Friday afternoon, triggering a response from the Wichita Fire Department.

Roughly a half dozen fire trucks and a dozen firefighters responded to the fire, which came in as a grass fire call but was ultimately caused by an underground transformer explosion, according to fire Capt. Nathan Neises.

Davie Hobbs was driving to Exploration Place around 4:30 p.m. with his family when he saw the columns of black smoke coming from the ground near the Salvation Army.

“I didn’t hear or necessarily see anything. I was driving by right here, and I honestly was about to pass it,” Hobbs said. “Then I reversed and came in here to watch it.”

He said when he arrived, the smoke — which was seeping out of two grates on either side of the Salvation Army — had a greenish-brown hue before turning orange and then black.

From beneath the two grates, the fire then made two big popping sounds. One, Hobbs said, snapped off branches from street-side trees. An employee at City Hall who came to observe the smoke said one of the pops shook the building and caused the lights to flicker.

Neises said as a result of the transformer explosion, some buildings lost power and apartments near the Salvation Army building had to be evacuated. Evergy and Kansas Gas Service crews were soon on the scene, and members of the fire department remained to provide assistance as needed. Power, which was knocked out at some nearby buildings, has since been restored.

Market Street between Second and Third streets and Third Street between Market and Broadway remained blocked off around 7 p.m. as crews assessed the transformer damage.

This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM.