Manhole Fires Erupt On Midtown Block, 6 Injured, FDNY Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Multiple manholes fires on a Midtown block led to an underground explosion Wednesday morning, an FDNY spokesman said. The fires forced two buildings to be evacuated and several blocks to be shut down.

Six people suffered minor injuries during the fire when a "small flash smoke explosion happened" Deputy Assistant Chiefs Michael Ajello said Wednesday at the scene of the fire. Five of the people injured are firefighters and the fourth is a superintendent of a nearby building, fire officials said.

None of the people injured were transported to hospitals, an FDNY spokesman said.

The initial fire broke out inside of a manhole in front of 6 E. 32nd St., located between Fifth and Madison avenues, around 9:45 a.m., an FDNY spokesman said. Firefighters responded to the scene and shut the block down. The explosion sparked by the manhole fires occurred in the cellar of 6 E. 32nd St., an FDNY spokesman said.

Bob Velez, an MTA bus driver, said that the force of the explosion caused nearby building windows to shake. Velez said he got to the scene after the initial fire and explosion, but that rumbling sounds continued to emanate from the scene.

"There was one large one, very large. The window here was trembling a lot," Velez said.

Another bus driver, J. Medrano, said he had just discharged his passengers when the first explosion erupted. About 30 seconds after dropping his passengers he heard a loud boom and noticed smoke coming from the ground, the bus driver said.

The fire department will monitor carbon monoxide levels in buildings near the fire and evacuate them as necessary the spokesman said. Both 6 and 12 E. 32nd St. were evacuated.

The city warned people that road closures and emergency vehicles were causing major delays. Police shut 32nd Street off from Sixth Avenue to Madison Avenue.

The FDNY has called Con Edison to the scene to help control the underground fires.

Patch reporter Noah Manskar contributed to this report.