Stephen Rex Brown Firefighters blasting a manhole with a fire hose.Firefighters were dousing a manhole with water at Second Avenue and Seventh Street this morning after it caught fire. A spokesman for the fire department said the first report of the blaze came in at 9:17 a.m., and that there were roughly 30 firefighters on the scene.
When The Local arrived on the scene at around 10 a.m. three Con Edison trucks and four firetrucks were at the intersection, and traffic was being diverted off of Second Avenue at St. Marks Place. The fire looked well under control, though a strong odor of smoke still lingered. The spokesman added that rain is often a cause of manhole fires, because the water can degrade the wires underground, making it easier for them to catch fire. EV Grieve first reported the fire.
