Manhole blazes are jolt to routine in the North End
 Antonio Rossi, a longtime North End resident, surveyed the scene on Hanover Street yesterday afternoon after manholes erupted in the area of the second night in a row. (Globe Staff Photo / Dina Rudick) |
For the second night in a row, a series of burning, belching manhole fires turned the streets of the North End into a chiaroscuro of smoke and flames that drew firefighters, residents, mayoral aides, and curious onlookers feasting on takeout Chinese food.
Five manhole blazes last night forced the evacuation of three buildings on Prince and Hanover streets, briefly cut off power to thousands, and sent streams of water coursing through the streets as firefighters flooded the manholes. Six similar fires on Wednesday night caused an electrical box in a basement to explode, sending four firefighters to the hospital with minor injuries.
It was unclear what caused the fires, though the ones Wednesday night apparently started in underground power lines.
When firefighters burst into his Hanover Street eatery at 4 p.m. yesterday and told him to evacuate, Luigi DeMarco, an owner of Cafe Graffiti, grabbed the cash from the register and headed for the door. Never mind the tubs of ice cream that he said were left to melt in his bistro. DeMarco, 35, said he expected to lose $1,500 in sales.
''It's not fun, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow," he said. ''You have no choice."
No residents were injured in the blazes, though one firefighter suffered a cut on his hand yesterday, said Lieutenant David M. Pfeil, a Fire Department spokesman.
The North End during the summer is a colorful collection of street life and restaurant-goers, people from the neighborhood and from far away. Some saw yesterday's fires as street theater, just another reason to socialize in the neighborhood. Patrons came out from bars, tourists gawked, and some picnicked in the street to watch the firefighters work.
''I guess it's just going to be a lazy summer night," said Jerry DiPrizio, 45, a carpenter whose truck was blocked in by fire engines on Hanover Street. ''They said it's going to be a while, whatever that means."
But for North End residents and the businesses that depend on foot traffic and smoke-free streets, last night proved trying. The historic Italian-American neighborhood had to summon much of its pluck and grit.
''I don't know what's going to come of this, but it's not fun," said Mark Petrigno, 48, owner of the Connah Store at Hanover and Parmenter streets, as he stood outside. He said he was losing perishables such as milk, ice cream, and old-fashioned slushies during the power outage, along with walk-in customers. He estimated he would lose $1,000 last night from lost sales and spoiled food.
Last night, Mayor Thomas M. Menino inspected Hanover Street, which was crisscrossed by yellow police tape and jammed with hundreds of residents and business owners milling about and chatting. Menino said he did not know the total economic damage to the neighborhood.
Officials opened a shelter at Nazzaro Community Center to accommodate several hundred tenants who were displaced from their buildings.
Menino said he planned to meet with firefighters, police officers, and inspectional services officials to figure out how to prevent the problems.
''I was very concerned, because last night we had a major problem here," Menino said. ''I want to reassure residents that it's safe."
Mike Durand, an NStar spokesman, said officials were still investigating the blazes on Wednesday night. ''[They] were caused by a fault in an underground cable," Durand said. ''We believe some trapped sewer gas may have made it more of an event than without the gas. But at this point, we're still not sure of all the answers."
The explosions Wednesday night sent at least one steel manhole cover skyward, witnesses said. ''It was a big bang," said Valerie L'Huiller, who had to evacuate her North End condo.
Paul Deuterio, 56, a co-owner of Galleria Umberto Rosticceria, said he had a single window blown out by the blasts. ''This was some explosion," he said. Mac Daniel of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
