Manhole fire knocks out power in City Hall area

LYNN – Electrical power to more than 100 customers, including City Hall, could remain shut down today as crews work to repair damage from an underground fire that broke out before dawn Monday inside a manhole in City Hall Square.City Hall workers were sent home Monday because an emergency generator provided the only lighting in hallways and the auditorium.National Grid crews began working on the system failure shortly after 9 a.m. Monday and were scheduled to continue through the night, according to National Grid spokesman Amy Zorich.”At about 4:30 a.m. Monday we were alerted to a disturbance in the underground electrical system in City Hall Square,” said Zorich.She explained that repairs to a fire-damaged electrical network can be tedious and labor intensive.A National Grid crew that specializes in such repairs arrived in Lynn Monday, but the work was slow going because of the dangers involved and safety protocols that must be observed.”About 100 to 140 customers lost power,” she said.Power was still out late Monday afternoon and more customers were expected to lose electrical service as the repairs progress, Zorich said.”The outage is expected to last through the night and others may be out of power as we de-energize to make the repairs,” she said. “We hope to have everybody back by tomorrow morning.”Zorich said National Grid understands that the outage causes inconvenience.On Monday, City Hall employees reporting to work at 8 a.m. were instructed to leave the building for the remainder of the day. Emergency lights illuminated the hallways and auditorium.The fire was initially reported at about 4:30 a.m. when the Fire Department responded. Smoke rose from the manhole and a nearby electrical power box. An acrid ozone-laden smell lingered in the air a mid-morning.Saw horses fitted with stop signs were erected at different points in City Hall Square to help tame the auto traffic.