Underground Fire, Explosions, Carbon Monoxide In Bloomfield

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — An underground electric fire in Bloomfield with minor explosions caused a temporary evacuation of some nearby buildings due to elevated levels of carbon monoxide on Thursday morning, authorities say.

The Bloomfield Fire Department released the following details about the incident:

“This morning, the Bloomfield Fire Department operated at an underground electric vault fire, with multiple minor explosions in the vault in front of 224 Broad Street. PSE&G electric responded to the scene to determine the cause and make necessary repairs. As per PSE&G, there are no safety concerns for anyone in the area.”

There were a number of buildings in the area that reported burning odors inside, the BFD noted.

“All buildings were investigated, and a few buildings had elevated levels of CO and were briefly evacuated,” the fire department stated. “These buildings had been ventilated and CO levels subsided to allow the return of occupants.”

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