Latest underground fire snarls traffic, dampens business in heart of Baltimore

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. will continue making “permanent repairs” to its infrastructure under North Charles Street throughout the week and likely through the weekend, keeping downtown roads closed, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

The ongoing repairs, which snarled downtown traffic this week, followed an early Sunday fire that scorched underground cables contained in Baltimore’s conduit system and damaged businesses along the 300 block of North Charles Street.

The Sunday blaze, which was still under investigation Wednesday, followed two other underground fires this year on Charles Street in the core of the city. The underground fire severely damaged Viva Books, which was condemned, and led other businesses in Brown’s Arcade to close due to a lack of power. Stem and Vine owner Quincy Goldsmith said Wednesday that he was “still assessing damage and determining short- and long-term options” for his wine bar and plant shop, which opened earlier this year next door to Viva Books.

Other businesses that weren’t physically affected were still feeling the effects. Haluk Kantar said guests aren’t coming into his Charles Street restaurants, Cazbar and Homeslyce, which are both located on the 300 block but have remained open.

“People think we’re closed,” he said Wednesday.

The commute is “terrible,” Kantar added, noting that the logjam of cars caused by the road closure added an extra hour in the morning and about a half hour in the evening to his drive. The road closure also requires that he and his employees and his patrons park blocks away.

“It is what it is,” he said, also noting that city officials haven’t been communicative about the issue.

Carelle Mayberry, manager at Luxury Nail & Spa at 330 N. Charles Street, said her shop lost appointments Sunday, when the nail salon was closed because it lost power. The business is now struggling with the traffic and parking issues, as well as limited Wi-Fi — meaning nobody can book an appointment by phone or pay by card — she said.

“This is the second time that this has happened within a 6-month time span, and each time it drastically affects us,” Mayberry said.

“This being out here and not knowing when this will be resolved or fixed, praying that they don’t put a Band-Aid on it like they did the last time — it’s a lot,” she said.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Wednesday that the “best of the best” from relevant utility providers were responding to the scene on Charles Street and that he was “confident that together, we’re going to make sure that we decrease the likelihood that this continues to happen.”

“This has impacted everyone, small business owners, residents, city government, state government, and this is why we’re pulling that group of folks together to look at what’s happening underground,” he said.

Baltimore Sun reporter Kiersten Hacker contributed to this story. Got a news tip? Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@baltsun.com , 443-790-4827, on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62.