NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Smoke and fire erupted from a manhole in Astoria Tuesday afternoon after residents reported hearing loud explosions coming from the street.
The incident happened near the intersection of 32nd Street and Broadway at around 3 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Authorities say firefighters responded to the scene for “manholes on fire” and the FDNY says elevated levels of carbon monoxide were discovered in 31-01, 31-11 and 31-17 Broadway, all of which were evacuated.
A spokesman for Con Edison tells WCBS 880 that utility crews responded to the smoking manholes and believe the cause was “likely the recent weather.”
“Road salt mixes with melting snow and ice and gets into the underground electric delivery system where it can get inside the wiring. That gives off heat and gases and causes smoking,” the spokesman said.
According to the FDNY, the incident is under control and there were no injuries reported.
Videos on Twitter showed smoke pouring from underneath a car on the scene. The FDNY has not confirmed any property damages.
The manhole fire in Astoria comes just days after a fire was seen raging from another manhole the middle of a Harlem street as Con Edison was responding to a possible gas leak.
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