Electrical Cables Burst into Flame on 9th and 10th Avenues

     by Yehudit Garmaise

     The FDNY and Con Ed arrived on the scene this morning at 9th Avenue, from 46th to 48th Street and 10th Avenue and 47th Street to put out fires that erupted on cables that carry live electrical currents.

     “The FDNY will continue to respond to and extinguish these fires when they arise,” the fire department told BoroPark24.

     “Con Edison is ready to respond to any service problems caused by the heat and humidity hitting the area this week,” Con Ed said. “The company urges residents to conserve energy whenever possible to prevent outrages and to stay away from downed wires.”

      Residents should ensure to keep themselves and their children at least 20 feet away or more from any electrical wires that catch fire, or anything the electrical wires are touching.     

     While high heat and humidity can increase demand for electricity to power air conditioners and cause outages, the weather can also cause electrical cables to overheat, the ConEd website says.

     Additionally, many electrical fires are caused by wiring that has worn down, loosened, or broken, according to allumiax.com.

     The heat and humidity can also bring thunderstorms with gusty winds that can disrupt the overhead electrical wires and cause outages.

     Until the heatwave ends, which it is expected to do tonight at 8pm, the company urges customers to reduce the use of electrical energy, whenever possible, and to report any outages at  (800) 752-6633.

     When reporting outages, Con Ed said customers should have their Con Edison account numbers available and be ready to report whether their neighbors also have lost power.