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 The New York Times.