Transformer fire lights up Upper East Side street in New York

What happened

Shortly before 3 a.m. on Monday 21 December 2020, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) was called to a transformer fire at the intersection of York Avenue and East 89th Street on the Upper East Side of New York. Neighbours reported an explosion, followed by flames and thick smoke rising from beneath the street and loud popping sounds that continued. One neighbour who came down to investigate became stuck in a lift on the second floor and had to be freed by firefighters.

A traffic light at the junction was reportedly out, but neighbouring buildings did not lose power, according to the report. The article does not state how long the fire burned, the extent of damage, or whether the utility or the equipment owner was named.

Contributing factors

According to comments from an FDNY battalion chief reported in the article, road salt spread on snowy roads was affecting wiring in the manholes. The chief described this as a common pattern in this weather. The source does not confirm this as the cause of this specific fire.

Lessons learned

1. Road salt and snowmelt can degrade cables, joints and insulation in underground vaults and manholes, so operators in cold climates should include salt exposure in inspection and cable-condition testing.
2. Underground transformer faults can produce flames and smoke at street level, so monitoring and rapid isolation of equipment reduce the risk to the public and to responders.
3. Faults that take out traffic signals should trigger early coordination between the equipment owner and the city agency responsible for signals and street safety.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.

Source

cbsnews.com