NStar worker injured, but expected to survive the flash fire under Freeport Street.

Flaming manhole this morning.

The Crimson reports on flaming manholes early this morning:

A fire started underground on the corner of Mass Ave and Dunster Street was visible through several manholes in the Square this morning. Harvard's Holyoke Center, Cambridge Savings Bank, Au Bon Pain, and other nearby institutions were evacuated, and automobile access to the Square had been severely restricted by the Cambridge Fire Department. ...

NeutralSurface took photos, including the one on the right.

Channel 5 reports. NECN has video on "the underground mechanical failure" as well (great fire-AND-ice NECN screen capture).

Sushiesque was on the scene later in the morning taking photos of the aftermath:

Mishka gets the day off.

Michael: On second thought, maybe I'll go to Yale.

Crispyfoods captures Old Flameful outside the Pit:

Channel 4 reports two NStar workers were injured this morning when the manhole they were in erupted in flames. Otis and Summer streets; cable failure blamed.

The Outraged Liberal is so enjoying recent NStar "service upgrades" in his neighborhood:

... Ever since the program started (or at least since we learned about it in February) I've been running around the house resetting the clocks on a regular basis (and you know how much fun that is!) We've had more power failures in the last two two weeks than in the previous five years. ...

Another dog gets shocked, in South Boston, but lives.

Electricity? Who needs that?

Not again!

Then again, it has been awhile since manholes last exploded in the North End. Also, despite the cool headline, nobody died from the geysers of flame, although, as you might expect, people were none too happy.

Channel 5 has some video.

The Pulitzer for Best Explanatory Paragraph goes to the Globe for really bringing the story home - especially for all its readers in Kansas:

The neighborhood, which is popular with tourists looking for an Italian meal, is also home to a number of college students.

MyDedham chronicles the lazy utility-company practice of leaving stumpy, dangerous-looking old telephone poles rather than replace them when they put in new ones and finds an example of triple poling.

Earlier:
Optimistic homeowner thinks Verizon will transfer wires to new pole.

Mike Ball harrumphs over the endless procession of workers from NStar, Keyspan and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission who are forever ripping up his street:

... This week, after two and one-half days, one well into the night, the gang of utility thugs left. They managed to knock Italian-bread sized chunks from our maple. They threw Dunkin' cups and lids, sandwich remains, junk food wrappers, pipe straps, work gloves and more on the street and in our recycling bin, including oddly enough, a single lime wedge. We assume that was from some cloying donut shop drink, although it has been gin-and-tonic weather. ...

And then there's the natural-gas smell.

NSTAR just notified all customers who had signed up for the E-Bill service to be able to pay bills online, but who did not opt to stop receiving paper statements, that they were going to no longer receive paper statements whether they like it or not.

Read all about it on my main blog.