Overview
- Six manholes along Newbury Street emitted smoke and heat Tuesday evening, prompting four building evacuations and temporary closures of nearby streets and sidewalks.
- Investigators traced the source to a failed secondary cable connection in a manhole at Dartmouth and Newbury, with heat and smoke venting through connected chambers and no damage reported in the others.
- Fourteen customers lost power and most service has been restored, some via generators, as crews cut out and replace the damaged cable and keep the area open to pedestrians and drivers.
- New energy-release manhole covers vented pressure without becoming projectiles, and Eversource says Boston is about 99% converted to the redesigned lids.
- Some Newbury Street businesses remained without electricity Thursday while crews checked for stray voltage and continued repairs; no serious injuries were reported, though low carbon monoxide levels were detected earlier.