Manholes Explode Around Crown Heights

Smoke billows from a manhole beneath a car on Brooklyn Ave.

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — A series of manhole explosions shook the vicinity of Eastern Parkway and Brooklyn Avenue and disrupting electricity and internet service. The explosions took place at around 3:30pm, filling the area with thick gray smoke, bringing residents out of their houses.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Manhole fires and explosions are pretty common during the snowy weather, a fire official explained that a mixture of the melting snow and salt used to melt the ice leak into the manholes and corrode the protective coating from the high-power electrical lines causing shorts, and the subsequent explosions, “much like lighting” he said.

There have been reports of such incidents over the weekend around the neighborhood and B”H there have been no reports of injuries.

6 Comments