Downed power line burns street

A power line spewed sparks and ignited on the pavement near the corner of William Street and Gladys Avenue following an electrical power transformer fire. No one was injured.

By: John Patten
   William Street residents enjoyed a late-night light show Saturday night and early Sunday morning, as a power line spewed sparks and ignited on the pavement following an electrical power transformer fire.
   No one was injured and other than damage to the roadway near the corner of William Street and Gladys Avenue, no property was damaged.
   But the intense heat from the fire created a spectacle many of those watching say they won’t soon forget.
   "It was the best," said 14-year-old Craig Hostodor, of 20 William St., who was in the parking lot of his apartment building at about 11 p.m. Saturday when the fire started.
   Mr. Hostodor was the first to spot the fire after he smelled smoke and looked up at the utility pole and saw "a little flame up there." Neighbor Beth Barr called 9-1-1 at about 11:15 p.m. to report the fire.
   As Mr. Hostodor and a few others watched from a safe distance, however, the "little flame" led to a small explosion when the line snapped and fell to the street, landing in a puddle of water from Saturday’s windy and wet weather, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto.
   Firefighters and police quickly responded, but had to wait until crews from PSE&G could arrive to cut the electrical power and shut off underground gas lines. Because of damage from the storm throughout the area, the company was unable to get a crew to Manville until about 5 a.m.
   So the residents watched as the power line continued to short out to the ground, at times heating the pavement to look as if it was melted.
   "It was like lava in the street," said Terese Machos, another Williams Street resident. Ms. Machos said small flames would pop up "every few inches" in a line down the street, looking like something from a cartoon.
   According to Borough Public Works Director Phil Petrone, who arrived on the scene at about 5:15 a.m. Sunday, the line was the main power line for a number of houses and so carried more power.
   "The blacktop was still burning — that’s how hot it was," he said.
   Residents were moved away from the area, to the corner of South Main Street and Williams Street — some waiting through the event sitting on outdoor tables at LJ’s Boardwalk Ice Cream and Eatery on South Main Street.
   Fortunately, the damage was limited to the street, and once the power was cut off, firefighters quickly extinguished the smoldering street and PSE&G crews repaired the power line, transformer and street pavement.
   By noon, Sunday, fresh pavement on the street was the only indication anything had happened.
   "Everything moved along pretty well," Mr. Petrone said.