Matt Stevens, Jacey Fortin and Daniel Victor

The bizarre sight set off a frenzy on social media, where people reported power failures at La Guardia Airport.

A spokesman for the New York Fire Department said it was investigating reports of a transformer fire at a Con Edison substation. The New York Police Department reiterated as much in a tweet, saying the blue light was the result of a “transformer explosion” and adding that “the fire is under control.”

A spokesman for Con Edison did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The utility’s outage map showed only about 50 power outages as of 9:50 p.m. Thursday, but that number was growing. On Twitter, officials apologized to dozens of alarmed customers, saying they “are aware of this situation.”

It was not immediately clear if anyone had been injured by the explosion.

This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/27/nyregion/blue-sky-queens-explosion.html" id="ffc1e8a0-382c-328f-a381-cdaf81927ec9">The New York Times</a>.

Sky in Queens Turns Bright Blue Amid Reports of Fire at Con Ed Substation

NEW YORK — A giant plume of smoke colored by bright blue light exploded into the night sky Thursday in Queens, causing people across New York City to gawk in awe as the authorities scrambled to figure out the cause.

A spokesman for Con Edison did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The utility’s outage map showed only about 50 power outages as of 9:50 p.m. Thursday, but that number was growing.

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Matt Stevens, Jacey Fortin and Daniel Victor

Articles written by the author

Sky in Queens Turns Bright Blue Amid Reports of Fire at Con Ed Substation

Sky in Queens Turns Bright Blue Amid Reports of Fire at Con Ed Substation