Underground fire leads to power outages, hot night for residents in Queens

Friday, August 17, 2018
Underground fire leads to power outages, hot night for residents in Queens
Dozens of residents woke up in the dark Friday after power lines sparked and burned Queens overnight.

CORONA, Queens (WABC) -- Dozens of residents woke up in the dark Friday after power lines sparked and burned Queens overnight.

It happened before 11 p.m. Thursday in Corona.

The incident started with an underground fire that sent heavy smoke shooting through multiple manholes.

Above-ground power lines tried to pick up the load but couldn't handle the additional voltage.

Dramatic video showed some of those wires showering sparks onto the street below.

The incident left several large buildings on 98th Street between 37th and 38th avenues without power. There were also some sporadic outages between 99th and 100th streets.

Con Edison crews were working on repairs, and full service was restored by Friday afternoon.

An air conditioned MTA bus was also at the scene to offer residents a way to beat the heat.

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