By Alex Ginsberg
A manhole fire in Middle Village on Fresh Pond Road near Metropolitan Avenue Friday night caused sporadic power outages and closed the busy intersection for several hours, Con Edison said.
According to Joe Petta, a Con Edison spokesman, the fire in a manhole in front of 62-06 Fresh Pond Rd. knocked out power to a car dealership, an animal hospital, two three-story buildings with stores on the ground floor and apartments above and eight private homes.
Temporary power was restored to the animal hospital by linking an emergency cable up to a functioning power line, Petta said. Power was restored to all affected buildings by 10 p.m. The cause of the fire was not known.
