Power restored in Washington Heights after manhole fire

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, N.Y. (WABC) -- Con Edison says power to all customers in Washington Heights has been restored following a manhole fire Thursday morning.

The fire broke out underneath West 190th Street, off Wadsworth Terrace, and resulted in power outages for 784 customers in neighboring buildings.

The manhole caught fire at 5:50 a.m. and was extinguished just before 7 a.m., but the outages persisted for hours. Smoke and flames were coming from the manhole, which was underneath two parked cars, making it difficult to access.

The weather conditions, specifically overuse of the system, are believed to have caused the fire.

Officials handed out lists of nearby cooling centers for those without power.

Firefighters and Con Ed workers were on the scene and monitoring carbon monoxide readings in the area.