Medford Square turned chaotic on Saturday when several downtown manholes started spewing smoke and flames, forcing police and firefighters to shut down a big chunk of the area and push people back from the scene. Thick plumes of smoke hung over the neighborhood as crews evacuated nearby businesses and diverted traffic to keep everyone out of harm’s way.
Streets between Forest Street and Lawrence Road, as well as along Riverside Avenue to River Street, were blocked off while crews battled the underground blazes. Drivers and pedestrians were told to steer clear, and multiple businesses were cleared out while firefighters stayed on scene, according to WCVB.
Not the first time
For longtime residents, the fiery manholes came with a sense of déjà vu. Back in 2009, a series of underground fires near the Tufts campus sent flames shooting out of manholes and knocked out power to thousands of people. Those incidents highlighted how dangerous electrically fueled vault fires can be, since crews often have to wait for utilities to cut the power before they can safely attack the flames, as reported by The Tufts Daily.
Officials’ response
Medford police and fire officials said they were on scene managing street closures and monitoring the situation, but there was no immediate word on injuries or on what triggered the fires. Crews focused on extinguishing the flames and securing underground utility vaults while the square stayed shut down, according to WCVB…