FIRE SHUTS DOWN SQUARE

Parts of Harvard Square were closed for large portions of Friday after a fire erupted underground and flared up through several manholes on the corner of Mass Ave and Dunster Street.

Harvard's Holyoke Center, Cambridge Savings Bank, Au Bon Pain, and other nearby institutions were evacuated and closed early Friday morning, and automobile access to the Square had been severely restricted by the Cambridge Fire Department. (See map below for the cordoned-off area at about 7 a.m.)

By midday, most of the Square businesses that had been closed were back in operation, and roads were reopened to traffic. 



The fire began around 2:45 a.m., according to the deputy fire chief of the Cambridge Fire Department, who said the main concern for residents was carbon monoxide. He added that the Fire Department planned to let the fire burn until it dies down.

The fire was caused by some kind of cable malfunction that sparked explosions and fires, according to ABC's Boston affiliate, WCVB. NStar said 700 customers were without electricity as a result of the blasts.

The fire will likely cause several transit snares in the Harvard Square area, with the closures of Mass Ave, JFK Street, Brattle Street. The MBTA rerouted several busses that run through the Square, though Red Line T service continued to operate normally.

Just before 7 a.m. on Friday, Harvard released a one paragraph statement saying that the its Holyoke Center would remain closed.

"University Health Services at Holyoke Center will also be closed," the statement said. "UHS walk-in service at [Harvard Law School] and [Harvard Business School] will be open. Most of the roadways into Harvard Square are closed. Please try to avoid Harvard Square if possible."

As of 7 a.m., no injuries resulting from the fire had been reported.

—Check TheCrimson.com for more updates throughout the weekend.


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