Manholes Smoking in University City

PECO says the smoke came from an underground voltage line that went bad

An underground electrical fire blew the covers off three manholes in the University City around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

PECO crews were on the scene in the area of 34th Street and Ludlow and 34th and Market Wednesday night.

A secondary voltage line went bad and began smoking, according to PECO. They say it happens sometimes when animals chew on the electrical line.

There were no injuries or power outages reported.

34th Street between Market and Chestnut remained closed as of 9 p.m. as crews worked to fix the problem.


Fan, follow and download: Get the latest from NBCPhiladelphia.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, our mobile site and NBC Philadelphia. Sign up for our breaking news newsletter. And, get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text PHIBREAKING to 639710 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)

Contact Us