A transformer fire in Queens sent an eerie blue light flooding the nighttime sky as electricity flickered in homes and an airport was plunged into darkness Thursday.
Con Edison says a brief electrical fire involving transformers broke out at the substation on 20th Avenue and 32nd Street in Astoria, causing a transmission dip in the area. The fire lit the sky so brightly that it appeared to be daytime in neighborhoods around Queens and Manhattan. Smoke arose from the source of the blue light.
Con Edison is investigating the cause of the transformer fire. Utility spokesman Bob McGee says no one was hurt.
“It did create a spectacular effect on the sky, and certainly caused a lot of concern,” he said, calling it an “abnormal event.”
“The electrical fault on the 138,000 volt equipment caused a sustained electrical arc flash that was visible across a wide area,” he added early Friday in a statement. “The affected equipment was isolated to a single section within the substation.”
Though small, the fire had a large impact citywide. LaGuardia Airport went dark, Rikers Island jail was on backup generators, and the 7 subway line saw major delays in both directions, according to Con Edison.
NYPD officials on scene said it appeared to simply be equipment malfunction, and there was no sign of any sort of nefarious interference. There was no visible damage inside the Con Edison plant.
Meanwhile, people flooded the streets in Queens and swarmed social media to try to figure out the source of the mysterious blue-green glow in the sky.
“I was thinking this is the end of the world, like something’s gonna happen,” said one resident in Astoria.
People in Queens reported the electricity briefly flickering off in their homes, and LaGuardia Airport saw a total blackout at one point.
(h/t NBC)
New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Con Edison Explosion
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