Fire down below

New South Head Road, Edgecliff

Smoke and gas from an electrical sub-station two blocks from my home disrupted traffic and electricity supplies to 2,200 homes and businesses this afternoon. Four sets of traffic lights were also out of action.

I heard the news on the car radio as I departed the nursing home and hoped all would be clear by the time I reached the location. Traffic congestion as I emerged from the Cross City Tunnel indicated clearly that the emergency was not yet over.

Luckily as I crawled the three hundred or so metres from the tunnel exit and reached a makeshift detour around Rushcutters Bay Park, the police reopened one lane heading in my direction and I got through without diversion.

I didn't yet know it as I took this photograph but the substation in question was where the firemen, dressed in yellow, are congregated at the left of the picture. Apparently two workers were sent to hospital with effects from an explosion.

Twenty minutes later and this section of road would be even more chaotic with the Mother's pick up run at the exclusive girl's school Ascham just ahead. They illegally block one lane every school day afternoon for about thirty minutes from 3pm. I'm glad I beat that today.

The best news for me was that my building turned out not to be one of the 2,200 that had their electricity cut off.