{"id":334514,"date":"2026-09-01T04:22:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T04:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/334514\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T04:22:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T04:22:23","slug":"transformer-fire-causes-co-buildup-evacs-in-brooklyn-heights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/334514\/","title":{"rendered":"Transformer fire causes CO buildup, evacs in Brooklyn Heights"},"content":{"rendered":"

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS \u2014 A Con Edison transformer under Middagh Street near Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights caught fire Saturday just before 8 p.m., popping a large, square manhole cover and causing a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide gas in nearby homes.<\/p>\n

The transformer is steps away from the Engine 205\/Ladder 118 firehouse, which responded immediately, joined by multiple additional units and Emergency Medical Services.<\/p>\n

\"FirefightersFirefighters rush in to 65 Middagh St. after carbon monoxide gas was detected Saturday night. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n

According to a Fire Department of New York spokesperson, at 7:58 p.m. FDNY received a call of a \u201ctransformer fire affecting occupancies with smoke, CO and power issues.\u201d A total of 21 units and 79 fire and EMS personnel responded. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles lined Middagh and Henry streets all the way to Cadman Plaza West.<\/p>\n

Firefighters detected potentially deadly levels of CO in two residential buildings, and requested Con Edison to shut off power to the four-story 65 Middagh St. They went room by room to evacuate the building, along with the corner building at 20 Henry St. They also forcibly entered 72 Middagh St., next to the firehouse, to check CO levels.<\/p>\n

\"AccordingAccording to FDNY, 21 units and 79 fire and EMS personnel responded to the buildup of carbon monoxide gas in buildings on Middagh and Henry streets. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle
\nFirefighters knocked on apartment doors<\/p>\n

Darrian Robinson, mother of 8-month-old twins, lives with her family at 20 Henry St., the Peaks Mason Mints Building.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were evacuated with the twins and waited in the Shake Shack in DUMBO,\u201d she told the Brooklyn Eagle. \u201cThey went through the two condos and knocked on doors and woke people up to evacuate them for safety.<\/p>\n

\"NumerousNumerous firefighters swept into 65 Middagh St. after a dangerous level of carbon monoxide gas was detected following a transformer fire. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened right outside of the fire station on Middagh but it looked like multiple fire stations were called,\u201d she said, noting \u201cmultiple trucks and multiple chiefs outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Con Edison spokesperson Ariel Taub described the incident as a \u201csmoking manhole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCon Edison crews remain on site working as quickly and safely as possible to make repairs,\u201d she told the Eagle. \u201cAt this time, one customer remains affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FollowingFollowing the response, firefighters formed a human chain to guide the hose back into the truck. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n

A Con Ed worker on site Sunday morning said that power had been restored to most of the units at 65 Middagh St., but that electric meters had \u201cburned up\u201d in a couple of apartments, and an electrician would have to replace them before power could be restored.<\/p>\n

CO is a potentially deadly gas<\/a> that is odorless, colorless, tasteless and nonirritating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2014 hence the need for CO detectors. While an irritating smell permeated the scene on Middagh Street Saturday night, it was a result of burning rubber and insulation materials in the utility cables, not the gas itself.<\/p>\n

\"ConCon Edison set up a perimeter around the burnt transformer. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n

About the buildings<\/p>\n

Both of the evacuated buildings occupy a prominent spot in Brooklyn\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Built in 1846, 65 Middagh St. was Brooklyn\u2019s first public school, built by the Board of Education when Brooklyn was a stand-alone city, according to sources including Brownstoner<\/a>. The school eventually became known as Public School 8. As the neighborhood grew, a larger building for P.S. 8 was built nearby at 37 Hicks St. By 1961, the school building had been sold to the Catholic Church of the Assumption. According to StreetEasy, in 1975 the building was sold<\/a> to Brooklyn Heights resident Joseph Maggio, who renovated it into loft-style apartments.<\/p>\n

\"AA Con Edison team went to work Saturday night on Middagh Street. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n

The Peaks Mason Mints Building at 20 Henry St., known as the \u201cCandy Factory,\u201d is a remnant from the days when the north Heights was industrial. Built in 1885, the original candy company made the popular confections Mason Mints, Mason Peaks and Dots. Brownstoner cites<\/a> older residents who remember factory workers throwing candy treats out the windows for children waiting eagerly below. The building later became a Mitchell-Lama for artists. After almost 30 years, the artists, many elderly, were forced out by a new landlord. Beset by construction troubles and an economic crash, the Candy Factory foundered until new investors, including Magic Johnson\u2019s company, brought in a new team to complete the conversion.<\/p>\n

\"AA ladder truck in front of 65 Middagh St. Saturday night in Brooklyn Heights. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle
\n\"OnOn Sunday, Con Edison ran temporary cables to supply power to 65 Middagh St. Photo: Mary Frost\/Brooklyn Eagle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BROOKLYN HEIGHTS \u2014 A Con Edison transformer under Middagh Street near Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights caught fire…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334515,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,41485,544,9,24,20324,5325,63],"class_list":["post-334514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-con-edison-coned","tag-fires","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-fire-department-fdny","tag-no-paywall","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}