An underground explosion resulted in a couple of cars busting into flames and burning in manhole fires within blocks of each in New York City, according to local reports. The fires also caused power outages in a few nearby buildings.
Think you have a lemon, click here to fill out a 60 second form.
On February 20, the fire set off black smoke that went up 80 feet into the air on Davidson Avenue. A fire broke out in a 183rd street manhole and burned up a taxi that was parked right above it. The fire then spread to the car parked behind it. The fire department extinguished the fires with foam within a few minutes.
The fire then spread underground, down two blocks and reignited at a couple more manholes above ground. The flames were the result of a combination of the weekend snow, followed by the warm weather, according to FDNY Battalion Chief Keith Ruggiero.
“It rained, that washed all the salt into the manholes corrodes the cables, cables start to smolder, carbon monoxide builds up, it catches on fire, and that’s why you had fires over there because the carbon monoxide travels and catches on fire, lights those on fire,” Ruggiero said.
FDNY Deputy Chief Jay Jonas added that manhole fires are common this time of year because of the melting snow and salt interacting with the electrical wires — which ultimately caused the blaze.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries even though the streets were filled with people enjoying an unseasonably warm February day. Yaw Appiah, whose cab caught fire, considered himself lucky despite being out of work for a few days as his yellow cab isn’t yellow anymore. Appiah lives around the corner from where the fire ignited with his wife and two children. He parked the cab around 1 a.m. in the same spot between his shifts for the last five years.
“I thank God for that because I was getting ready to go to work right now,” he said. “This is my main job. I have no other job apart from this one.”
“I’m out of words. I don’t know what to say at this moment,” Appiah’s wife Ernestina Acheanpong added.
Con Edison was on the scene as electricity remained shut off to three buildings as it investigated. The company also is working on restoring power to the buildings. Meanwhile,
Appiah plans to pick up a new car and get back to work later this week.
Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.