Ridgewood underground transformer explodes, fills area with smoke

UPDATE: East Ridgewood Avenue will remain closed to vehicles between Cottage Place and Walnut Street at least until 4 this afternoon while repairs are made following an underground transformer explosion and fire Thurday night that sent smoke up through sidewalk grates and forced the evacuation of the Clearview Warner Quad movie theater and three neighboring businesses.

Jerry DeMarco

06/08/2012 5:38 a.m.

CLIFFVIEW PILOT photos by Boyd A. Loving

Those businesses are reopened, or reopening, today.

The explosion in the Public Service Electric and Gas vault occurred just after 6:15 p.m., bringing Ridgewood police, firefighters, EMS and Emergency Services personnel.

PSE&G personnel were called to make the area safe for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

Members of the Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Department searched buildings to make sure everyone was out.

No injuries were reported.

Ridgewood Fire Capt. Paul Monton and Police Lts. William Amoruso & Todd Harris headed the four-hour effort.

As of late Thursday, the cause hadn’t been officially announced.

East Ridgewood Avenue was closed to all vehicular traffic between Maple Avenue and Walnut Street the entire time.

It remains closed until utility workers complete repairs, which police expected would be around 4 p.m. today.

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