Waterloo residents were alarmed to see black smoke billowing from a roadside grate this morning as the area was hit by a power cut.
Smoke was seen pouring out from the side of Marldon Avenue in Waterloo shortly after 9am, accompanied by "smells of electrical burning" and a "buzzing sound", according to resident Sarah Hodgson.
At the same time, properties in the area around Marldon Avenue experienced an unexpected power cut and called the fire brigade to deal with the smoke.
A spokesman for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said a fire engine had arrived at the scene by 9.23am, but the crew could not see any smoke or fire.
The spokesman said: "There's no smoke evident, but we are monitoring it."
Electricity company Scottish Power said in a statement on its website that engineers were investigating "a possible blown fuse" at a nearby substation.
The statement said: "Our team will work to get your power back on as quickly and as safely as possible. We expect the power to be restored by 12:30pm."
Sefton Council said it was not aware of the issue and directed enquiries to the fire brigade and Scottish Power.
