Manhole Fire Disrupts Traffic & Business On 9th Street

A manhole fire caused havoc briefly on 9th Street this afternoon, but was quickly put under control by the FDNY.

A spokesman for the FDNY tells us there were no injuries due to the incident, which occurred at just before 2pm and disrupted traffic and business on the block for a short time.

“I was on 5th Ave…when two sewers on 9th St exploded, probably due to the salt seeping into them when the snow started melting, the stench was so bad…,” says neighbor Tom Prendergast, who shares these photos. “Check out the sign, Smoke Shop, at least it’s living up to name.”

Just up the block, the fire caused Steve’s C-Town to shut down temporarily, though they are back open now.

“We were closed for just a little while,” said an employee. “There was a lot of smoke inside the store.”