Exploding Manholes In Brooklyn Heights: Can It Happen Again?

Ben Yakas/Gothamist

Remember Monday's Brooklyn Heights electrical fire, with the gas leaks and the exploding manhole covers and the power outage and the subway shutdowns and the evacuations? We reported that it was caused by a contractor working for National Grid, who hit an underground MTA electrical line while installing gas service to a home on Willow Place. It turns out the contractor did everything he was supposed to do, including making the required "call before you dig" query, which every contractor must do before ripping into city streets. So what's to stop this from happening again?

That's what City Councilmember Stephen Levin wants to know! In a statement, he worries, "I am relieved that no local residents were hurt but remain very concerned that this explosion, which could have seriously injured residents, even occurred." The explosions crumpled parts of the cobblestone streets, and Kaki Burns, a 25-year old actress who was staying with a friend on Joralemon Street, tells the Times she smelled gas and then heard what sounded like a bomb: "The cat jumps up. I fall down. The whole building shakes." An investigation is underway, but in the meantime wear a helmet and be on the lookout for exploding manhole covers.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on January 21, 2010 2:45 PM

Comments [rss]

MEDICNYC

This happens all over the city every day. Just because it is in stupid Brooklyn Heights it gets attention. I don't even know why this is an article.

sowhtifithppnsitwll

yes, what happened to the smoke stacks?

MsMarvel

Enjoy Kaki's YouTube auditions and imagine the above haiku in motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnqQBheWXkc

(Yes, I googled just 'cause her name is so darn cool.)

kakiburns

uh oh...

BeehiveHairdresser

I love that the Times is quoting, "Kaki Burns"

Tower18

"The cat jumps up. I fall down. The whole building shakes."

Riveting.

schadenfreudian mensch

That's a Haiku if there ever was one.

kakiburns

This is all hilarious, and weird. You know the thing the writer kindly did not mention, was the sentence leading up to my description, which involved me getting out of the shower- hearing all the fire men outside the window, due to the forewarning man whole smoke, trying to get us all to evacuate and attempting to get in the basement, assuming that had something to do with it.... "My friends windows blew onto her bed, my towel falls off, so there I am on my bare naked ass, thinking Brooklyn Heights just went from yupsterville to the third world," having no idea what the hell was going on outside. I screamed like a little child and cried like a baby. Kind of.