Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood witnessed a sudden disruption on Thursday as two manholes erupted in flames within hours of each other, prompting concern and a swift response from emergency services. The first explosion occurred on Central Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Stockholm Street at around 5:21 p.m., sending two manhole covers into the air, as captured by ABC7 New York. Firefighters were already present, responding to reports of elevated carbon monoxide levels when the incident took place.
The second explosion, sending, pedestrians into a panic as they fled the sudden danger, happened shortly after 7:20 p.m. near the intersection of Lewis Avenue and Pulaski Street. According to video footage from Citizen, flames could be seen violently emerging from the manhole, threatening nearby vehicles and businesses before emergency personnel brought the situation under control. This was reported by New York Post, which also cited the FDNY in stating that approximately 60 fire and EMS workers attended the scene of the second explosion.
In both incidents, Con Edison was quick to respond to the occurrences, with firefighters managing to avoid any reported injuries. As of now, the exact cause of the manhole fires remains under investigation, but the presence of Con Edison personnel on the scenes indicates a likely electrical origin. The back-to-back nature of these events raises concerns about the underlying conditions of the city's subterranean infrastructures.
The FDNY has not provided further details on the potential impact of the carbon monoxide levels that were being investigated prior to the first explosion. While the damage was contained, and, no physical harm came to the public or first responders.
