A fire in a Con Ed manhole forced people and pets in more than a dozen buildings to evacuate their homes near the corner of 18th Avenue and 71st Street in Bensonhurst yesterday.
The fire started at 12:30 p.m. when underground electrical cables burned out, according to Con Ed spokesman Chris Olert.
No one was injured in the smoky blaze, according to a Fire Department spokesman - but 16 buildings were emptied due to elevated carbon monoxide readings.
Hours later, residents - many of whom fled with dogs, cats and even a parrot - were still waiting to return to their homes.
"We can't let anyone back in until the CO levels dissipate," the FDNY spokesman said. "We're taking readings in every building."
The fire is under investigation, Olert said.
It appeared to be a result of overburdened cables. Oddly, there was no power outage reported, police said.
Later in the day, hundreds of neighborhood residents returning from work were forced to wait on the sidewalk until it was finally determined that it was safe for them to enter their homes, the FDNY spokesman said.
