New York City on pace for the most manhole fires, smoking manholes in 11 years, data shows

 A CBS News New York Investigation finds New York City is on pace for the most manhole fires in 11 years.

New York City Open Data shows more than 4,000 reports of fire, smoke or explosions in manholes that the FDNY has responded to so far this year.

Back in 2023, firefighters responded to just 1,300 manhole fire reports all year. That number climbed to 2,800 in 2024, then 4,400 in 2025. That’s a 200% increase over the last few years.

This year is on pace for the most manhole fires or smoking manholes in the city since 2015.

According to Con Ed, the top cause of manhole fires is the salt used to treat snow, which corrodes electrical wires. The city spread 1 billion pounds of salt last winter to fight the worst snow and cold since 2015.

A company spokesperson emailed news staff, saying, in part, “Safety is our priority,” and saying fewer than 1% of its 268,000 manholes are involved in an emergency response each year.

https://dailydispatch.com/fire-news/new-york/new-york-city-on-pace-for-the-most-manhole-fires-smoking-manholes-in-11-years-data-shows/