![Flaming manhole on Boylston Street](https://universalhub.com/files/styles/main_image_-_bigger/public/images/2022/boomhole.jpg)
The Boston Fire Department reports a couple of manholes on Boylston Street near Fairfield Street belched flames around 12:45 p.m., causing no injuries but startling passersby.
Curious to know what happened. I walked by the next manhole down the line when it exploded. Very unnerving! pic.twitter.com/LiOIRhOpUU
— Emily Hostetler (@EmHosAd) May 17, 2022
Aftermath (photo by BFD):
![Aftermath of manhole explosions](/images/2022/boomholeafter.jpg)
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You missed this opportunity for a title
By cybah
Tue, 05/17/2022 - 5:42pm
o/~ Goodness Gracious, Manholes O Fire o/~
Look at that!
By Sammy White
Tue, 05/17/2022 - 6:16pm
3 jabonies on their phones and one dude posed like he is about to start a breaking dancing throw down.
Would have been more apropos
By ScottB
Tue, 05/17/2022 - 6:56pm
In front of Taco Bell
Wait. This reminds me to ask
By anon
Tue, 05/17/2022 - 10:27pm
Wait. This reminds me to ask a serious question because, you know, safety first for all us living, working, or both, right now at this moment forward in Boston (which includes neighnorhood districts) .
What causes this to happen and can it aggravate gas lines? It seems to happen occasionally, more often than not.
Aggravate gas lines?
By perruptor
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 7:44am
It's almost certain that leaking gas lines supplied the fuel for this. The State estimates that up to 1.1% of all the gas that enters MA is lost to leaking pipes. Other sources say that's a gross underestimate. Even if it's not, that is a lot of gas.
Yes it couldn't possibly be
By anon
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 9:39am
Yes it couldn't possibly be an electrical fire. Maybe you should stay home and let the adults do adult things
Burning what?
By perruptor
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 1:09pm
See the word exploded in the witness report? Give us your adult explanation of electricity exploding, please.
More than one source of natural gas
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 3:16pm
Sewers also vent gasses underground, which can create flaming manholes.
But a quick google search turned up the fact that frayed wires on cables carrying high voltages can cause everything around them to degrade and create gases that burn. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/en...
That would be a great band name
By Don't Panic
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 1:06am
Ladies and Gentlemen "The Flaming Manholes"!
Back in my day when this
By Kidde
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 7:06am
Back in my day when this happened,, we'd grab a bag of marshmallows and some green sticks, or straightened coathangers and get to snacking. We couldn't afford chocolate or Graham crackers, but some days we'd sprinkle Quik on them after toasting.
Split the manhole, that's an
By anon
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 7:27am
Split the manhole, that's an impressive show of force.
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