BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – A series of manhole cover explosions rocked Downtown Baltimore on Thursday night, leading to power outages affecting hundreds of people into Friday morning as authorities worked to determine the cause.
The explosions, which were reportedly caused by an electrical issue, prompted a response from fire crews who arrived at the scene on North Charles Street to find smoke and fire emitting from multiple manhole covers. This led to significant traffic modifications on Friday morning in the affected area, affecting the 200, 300, and 400 blocks of North Charles Street between Baltimore and West Mulberry Street.
According to officials, the explosions impacted underground electrical conduits along the street, leading to the de-energization of the electric system and a subsequent power cut to 1600 customers. As a result, the outage affected the downtown area in the general grid of Centre Street, Liberty Street, St. Paul Street, and Fayette Street.
One of the locations affected by the power outage was Mercy Medical Center, although the hospital’s operations continued largely unaffected. Nearby, five locations were evacuated, and Downtown Baltimore City courthouses were closed as emergency work continued.
Utility company BGE issued a statement indicating that their crews would be investigating the incident and that customers may experience temporary service interruptions during the restoration process. The company also mentioned that new underground electric cables would need to be installed, which could lead to additional interruptions.
The Baltimore Office of Emergency Management advised the public to expect delays and continued emergency work in the area as the investigation and restoration efforts continued.