Manhole fires on 104th street between Columbus and Amsterdam Wednesday night knocked out power to two buildings, impacting at least 70 apartments, according to ABC News.
Firefighters extinguished four smoking manholes within 30 minutes.
Con Ed says crews were working to repair three feeders that were damaged. The fires are usually the result of road salt corroding the underground power cables, which short out and catch fire.
No injuries were reported.
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Why are we still using salt? When I was a kid we used ashes from the coal furnaces, which is not possible now and just as well. I remember kitty litter being suggested at one point. Anyway, there has to be some alternative to salt.
And clearing the storm drains wouldn’t hurt.
How about not using salt for ice and snow anymore in the city streets and spend a little bit more money and use ice melt or something that it’s not going to write our cable system underground !!!!! Compare the damage what salt is doing to our cable system underground to what we can actually use something different on the streets.