Overview
- Early Wednesday morning a transformer blew on Prospect Avenue near Berry Street, snapping a utility pole and bringing live wires onto the roadway.
- Downed live wires ignited parked vehicles and photos from first responders show seven cars burning and heavy smoke at the scene.
- PSE&G crews cut power before Hackensack firefighters could safely extinguish the fires, and police collected vehicle-owner information for follow-up.
- There were no reported injuries and most customers had power restored by mid-morning with just over 1,000 customers affected at the outage peak.
- Officials have opened an investigation into the equipment failure and its possible link to recent severe storms, which could affect repair timelines and insurance claims.