Transformer vault fire prompts evacuations in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Mar 2023Published 2 Oct 2026
Companies named in this entry: Con Edison
What happened
An underground transformer vault fire at about 3:30 a.m. on 9 March 2023 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, left a block of Brigham Street without power. Con Edison said about 53 customers were affected. High carbon monoxide readings led to the temporary evacuation of about a dozen homes. Levels began to fall a couple of hours later. The report did not say when power would be fully restored.
Lessons learned
- An underground transformer vault fire can raise carbon monoxide in nearby homes, so indoor air should be checked as well as the electrical fault.
- A short outage on one block can still require evacuation, and restoration time should be stated only when it is known.
- Operators should treat a vault fire beside dwellings as both an electrical and an indoor-air hazard.
Source
Other entries that name Brooklyn
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- Explosion at ageing Brooklyn substation strands New York City Subway riders
- Vinegar Hill substation flash causes brief Brooklyn outage
- Explosion reported at a Con Edison substation in Brooklyn
- Transformer explosion causes outage in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn
Published 2026-10-02. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.