Transformer Fire in Manhole Disrupts Afternoon Traffic in Northern Tribeca

Firefighters extinguish a manhole fire at 393 Broadway in preparation for Con Ed workers to inspect the damage.               Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

A transformer fire inside a manhole on Broadway between Walker and White streets on Tuesday caused the closure of two lanes of Broadway and shut down a heavily trafficked block of Walker Street for most of the afternoon. The street closures came as the manhole continued to smoke and make sporadic popping sounds that also kept pedestrians cleared of the area.

Three FDNY units responded to the scene around 2:30 p.m. and found high levels of carbon monoxide in an adjacent building at 393 Broadway, according to FDNY Battalion Chief Kevin J. Brennan. The incident caused only “minor” evacuations and no injuries, a fire department spokesman said.

Con Ed emergency workers arrived some two-and-half hours after the Fire Department, at which time firemen hosed down the still-smoking manhole. The fire did not cause any power outages in the surrounding area, according to a Con Ed spokeswoman. Con Ed crews worked overnight to repair about five underground conduits, completing the task late Wednesday morning, the spokeswoman said.