[Updated] Electrical Fire Rips Through Cortelyou Road Near Q Station

A manhole fire shot bursts of flames and smoke through Cortelyou Road last night, causing 56 neighbors to lose power.

Here’s our eyewitness account from Cortelyou Road last night:

During the last half hour, smoke has been filling houses and apartments near the Cortelyou Road train station. The cause is unknown at this time, but is likely an electrical fire in a manhole on the corner of Cortelyou and Rugby, near P.S. 139. Police have sealed off Cortelyou Road between Argyle Road and East 16th Street.

Neighbors report a power outage along Cortelyou Road between Rugby and Marlborough Roads, and the lights are flickering like crazy at P.S. 139

The electrical fire ripped through the neighborhood on February 7 around 6pm, said FDNY. It took 60 firefighters to calm the flames on Cortelyou Road and Rugby Road. Fortunately, no one was injured, according to FDNY and police records.

The manhole fires are usually caused by salt residue melting into the wiring, left over from snowstorms or washed underground by water, a Con Ed spokesperson told BKLYNER. As of this morning, there was still one neighbor without power.

In February 2015, dramatic explosions on Coney Island Avenue were caused by manhole fires, and neighbors lost power throughout the night. Did you hear or see anything last night? Tell us your story at editor@bklyner.com