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Manhole Fire Sends Smoke Billowing into LIC Restaurant, Windows Get Smashed

The smashed windows of Jora, located at 47-46 11th St., on Monday (Photo credit: Joel Voisard)

Dec. 22, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

A manhole erupted in flames in Long Island City early Monday sending smoke billowing into a nearby restaurant.

The blaze took place near the corner of 48th Avenue and 11th Street at around 4:15 a.m. and smoke quickly filled the outdoor dining area at Jora, a Peruvian restaurant located at 47-46 11th St.

Responding firefighters were forced to smash nearly all of the plexiglass windows in order to release the smoke. The fire was put out by 5:28 a.m., according to the FDNY.

Shattered glass could be seen strewn across the tables and the floor of the outdoor dining area Monday.

The owners of Jora said they were forced to close the eatery Monday due to the incident and plan to reopen today.

Manhole fires are a common occurrence in New York City, particularly in the winter.

The mixture of melting snow and de-icing salt seeping into manholes cause frayed low-voltage cables to fail. In turn, that causes fires, smoke and explosions that can send manhole covers flying.

An image from the man hole fire (Citizen)

Smoke in Restaurant @CitizenApp

47-46 11th St 4:24:11 AM EST 

email the author: news@queenspost.com
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