Milwaukee firefighters, police officers and We Energies crews block off an area near Milwaukee Public Market as they investigate after an explosion sound from underground was reported. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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The Public Market in Milwaukee's Third Ward was evacuated Tuesday after construction crews discovered a mysterious underground fire that initially raising fears of an explosion.

Authorities determined no blast had occurred despite reports of an explosive sound, Milwaukee police Sgt. Rita Peerenboom said at the scene.

Milwaukee firefighters, police officers and We Energies crews blocked off the area bordered by E. Clybourn St., E. St. Paul Ave, N. Water St. and N. Broadway as they investigated the incident, thought to have occurred about 95 feet underground, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported. Officials said the Public Market was evacuated as a precaution. The Public Market remained closed Tuesday, even though investigators determined that the area and all the business around it are safe.

The market will reopen Wednesday.

"We are there assisting the fire department in their investigation, and at this point it does not appear to involve any of our facilities," We Energies spokeswoman Cathy Schulze said.

No natural gas has been detected, and the nearest natural gas line is about 40 feet away, Fire Department Assistant Chief Dan Lipski said during a televised news conference. The regional hazardous materials team is responding to help with additional tests.

The state Department of Transportation is rebuilding I-794 from the Hoan Bridge to the Milwaukee River, which caused the market to lose some parking.

Construction workers noticed a below-ground flame as they were driving a piling into the ground. The fire, about a foot high, was described by Lipski as "a very lazy flame."

Deep tunnels crisscross the city, and historically that area of the Third Ward was marshland, meaning there could be a buildup of methane or hydrogen sulfide, Lipski said.

"I'm more concerned with what we don't see than what we do," he said.

Ray Goth, the department's acting deputy chief, said investigators could not find an exact cause of the fire, but they believe a piling being driven into the ground probably sparked the fire, which then burned itself out.

Mike De Sisti of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this story.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Dan Lipski, the fire official who addressed reporters.