Dec. 27 (UPI) -- A transformer explosion temporarily closed LaGuardia Airport and lit up the sky across much of New York City with a blue glow on Thursday night.
"The lights you have seen throughout the city appear to have been from a transformer explosion at a Con Ed facility in Queens," NYPD posted on Twitter. "The fire is under control."
Later shortly after 11 p.m., NYPD posted: "No injuries, no fire, no evidence of extraterrestrial activity."
Then at 15 minutes later, police said the explosion "was determined to be a non-suspicious equipment malfunction".
Because a "couple of transformers tripped offline" at the intersection of 20th Avenue and 32nd Street in Astoria, Queens, around 9 p.m., multiple fires were taking place, Con Edison spokesperson Bob McGee told CNN.
Around 11 p.m., the airport tweeted power was restored in the temrinals with outgoing and incoming flights resuming.
All Federal Aviation Authority facilities were on generator power, FAA spokesman Greg Martin said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio's spokesman Eric Philips tweeted: "*Not* aliens. Blown transformer at Queens Con-Ed facility. Scattered power outages, including LGA."
Besides lighting up the sky in shades of blue visible as far as Manhattan and New Jersey, temors shook buildings and rattled windows.
People ran into the streets and took to social media to comment and post images.
What was the bright blue light and tons of smoke that just lit up the sky? @News12BX @CBSNewYork @ABC7NY @NY1 pic.twitter.com/m1jfNCDVPC
- Amanda Oliveira Lima (@MsOliveiraLima) December 28, 2018
