Electrical Explosion in Wis. Knocks Out Power For 550

Feb. 11--An explosion created a 15-foot hole around a manhole cover that exploded Sunday night near the Pfister Hotel.

Officials from We Energies were trying to figure out the cause of the explosion. About 550 customers were still without power late Sunday night.

Deputy Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said firefighters were dispatched to a manhole near the intersection of Mason and Milwaukee streets around 5:25 p.m. because smoke was seeping from the cover.

Firefighters discovered thick black smoke and flames inside the manhole. As firefighters began moving pedestrians from the scene, another manhole about 175 feet away, near the intersection of Jefferson and Mason streets, blew up.

"It obliterated the asphalt," Lipski said in an interview at the scene at 7:30 p.m.

Asphalt chunks littered the street where pavement was heaved up like it had been punched from underneath.

There have been no evacuations but diners at a restaurant were moved to the back of the facility.

"We're suspecting some sort of failure of electrical lines that created a burst of energy," said Lipski.

We Energies spokeswoman Cathy Schulze said steam, electrical and gas lines run underground throughout downtown.

"We're looking at an underground electrical cable that experienced a fault. As to what caused the fault I can't speculate," Schulze said.

Anders Seefeldt lives near Cass street and Kilbourn avenue and was preparing to fix stir fry for dinner when he heard the explosion.

"It was just a big boom. It kind of sounded like thunder or a sonic boom," said Seefeldt, who works for a marketing firm. "I looked outside but didn't see anything. Then an hour later the power went out.

"If the power doesn't come back on I guess I'm eating Jimmy John's," said Seefeldt.

Authorities blocked off an area around the Pfister Hotel and traffic lights at a couple of intersections are not operating.

Aside from a female pedestrian who was thrown when the manhole exploded-she refused medical treatment-no injuries have been reported.

Hotel patrons and residents of nearby buildings were asked to stay inside while officials searched for the source of the problem.

"We were told not to go anywhere," said Jeanette Hurt, who was inside the hotel. Hurt, who had been leading a session for the Sisters at the Pfister fundraiser Sunday, said: "We heard a boom and saw the chandeliers shake."

Hurt said she was among a group of at least 25 to 30 people who were confined to the seventh floor of the hotel.

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