Breaking news, folks. According to Alert SF, "Avoid the area of Polk / O'Farrell for next hour due to fire in underground vault. Heavy smoke. Traffic in area is impacted." Also, as always, you could very well get shot and killed at Polk and O'Farrell, or groped by bachelor party revelers from the nearby O'Farrell Theater, so do be careful

Update 1 p.m.: "No pedestrian or vehicle traffic in area of Polk/OFarrell. Exclusion perimeter: Van Ness - Geary - Larkin - Ellis - Van Ness. NO traffic inside that box." Traffic is a mess. Do NOT go around that area if you can help it.

Update: 1:12 p.m.: Holy smokes! (Heh.) It's a manhole or vault fire. (What's a vault in this case, readers?) Watch it live on KGO.

Update 1:16 p.m.: SFist is coming at you live with breaking info on SFTLVaultFire2K9. According to reports, the "[s]mell in the Tenderloin is [more] awful [than usual]. Traffic lights flashing red on Geary, Larkin, Polk."

Update 1:22 p.m.: Egads, it is ROARING out of control. According to ABC 7, the fire its "due to an explosion of an underground transformer." Shelter is in place for Tenderloing residents. Which is to say, don't go outside right now, TL ilk.

Also, if you're holed up in your apartment, please send pics of said blaze to SFist at editor@sfist.com.

Update 1:28 p.m.: The nearby O'Farrell and its "perfect sensual experiences" are safe. For now. And black smoke it shooting from the steamy manhole.

Update 1:34 p.m.: It looks as if the Wicked Witch of the West (or, Galinda) might shoot out at any second.

Oh, and 3,000 or 4,200 residents are without power. Stay tuned.

Update: 1:50 p.m.: Warning: "If you are within 3 blocks of Polk/O'Farrell, stay inside due to smoke from fire."

Update: 1:52 p.m.: Unconfirmed report from SFist commenter MalcoveMagnesia, "Another big burst of black smoke from a few blocks away from me. Probably another underground vault / box blowing up. I can imagine this will be a nasty one to extinguish."

Update 1:59 p.m.: Looks like the fire is relatively under control. Power still not restored. Asphalt melted.

Update 2:06 p.m.: Boo! ABC 7 says there might be a chance that the fire could spread.

Update 2:17 p.m.: Also, "Don't even think about taking the 47 or 49 down Market right now. Van Ness is backed up." Also plus, "There are a bunch of lost tourists running thru the TL right now." Chortle.

Update 2:40 p.m.: "Northbound Van Ness closed, O'Farrel, Polk and Larkin also closed. Traffic on Hyde is a mess."

Update 3:01 p.m.: According to abc7newsBayArea, "The shelter in place around O'Farrell and Polk has been lifted."

Update 3:20 p.m.: According to Muni, via Appeal, "As of 3:00 p.m., the 47 and 49 routes have resumed normal service. The 19 and the 38 are still being re-routed."

Filed in News and tagged alert, breaking news, emergency, fire, tenderloin, traffic

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