The fire involved the main electrical conduit for the mall's business tower, which is located near the mall's loading bays and its main entrance.
Greater Sudbury Fire Service Captain Peter Ferguson said the 12 firefighters responding to the fire learned there was a nick in protecting case on one of the electrical wires, which caused it to short out.
The short-out caused a bird's nest next to the wire to catch on fire, which in turn caused smoke to enter the building. He said there was only a bit of “light smoke” in the escalator area, and it wasn't even enough to set off the smoke alarm.
Platoon Chief Phil Langis said the fire automatically extinguished once power was cut to the business tower.
While the business tower was evacuated, the mall itself wasn't, Ferguson said. He said he's not sure how long the power was out, or how long the evacuation lasted.
