An underground utility fire has shut down Morristown’s South Street between James and Hamilton, and it will remain closed for hours, police said.
No injuries have been reported. Thick black smoke continues to billow from the sidewalk in front of Walgreen’s, where the underground fire broke out shortly after 4 p.m., according to Morristown town Administrator Michael Rogers.
Power is out along portions of Maple Avenue; traffic lights there are not working.
Jersey Central Power & Light has throttled back power in the vicinity, said Mayor Tim Dougherty. So far, the Blair apartment complex across from Walgreen’s has not been evacuated.
“They have brown-out conditions,” the Mayor said.
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There is power at town hall, and the seniors center on the third floor is being kept open as a cooling center in case anyone needs to be evacuated on this hot, sticky night. Temperatures approached 100 degrees in town today.
The Mayor said the situation affected power to the Morristown Medical Center (formerly Morristown Memorial Hospital). He said the hospital was operating on backup power.
“Power is fine. We’re on backup generators. Patients are not affected at this point,” said hospital spokeswoman Pam Garretson.
As of 5:30 pm State Police were on the way to set up traffic detours.
Some 1,200 people are coming to town for a sold-out Monkees show at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. From Route 287 South, police advise detouring from Madison Ave., left onto South Street, right onto Headley, right onto Ledgewood, right onto James and left onto South to the theater.
Another approach from Route 287 is to take Lafayette to Pine Street to the theater.
Claire Kelly, a Walgreen’s employee, waited in the King’s parking lot hoping to get back into the pharmacy, where her purse and car keys are locked inside.
She said there was “a lot of black smoke inside. They got the vaccines out, and some of the pharmacy stuff.”
Last year an underground fire preceded a powerful explosion at the town library, a couple of blocks away on South Street. That followed a series of underground fires and manhole explosions in town.
While the library explosion remains under investigation, JCP&L has told town officials that it spent thousands of dollars upgrading the underground network.
JCP&L did not immediately have any information about the present situation. It has people on the scene, along with Morristown fire, police and emergency services personnel.
“We have reports of smoke,” said JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano. “Our priority is assessing and fixing the problem.”
This is like deja vu all over again! Eventually… and it’s only a matter of time, JCP&L will blow up the library again (for a third time!)