Overview
- A city-commissioned RTI Group investigation found combustible gases accumulated from degrading, overheating cable insulation and ignited in an overcrowded manhole near Charles and Pleasant streets.
- The blast on Sept. 29, 2024 spread through connecting ducts into nearby buildings, injured a firefighter, and cut power to much of downtown.
- RTI cited risk factors including mixed utility installations, fiber-optic and power cables sharing ducts without adequate separation, and equipment spanning roughly a century.
- Recommendations include separating fiber from power cables by at least 12 inches, expanding gas and temperature monitoring, creating a unified utility drawing database with a risk map, and improving coordinated governance and emergency response.
- RTI began work in July 2025, examining the damaged manhole, conduits, and physical evidence and interviewing transportation, fire, and BGE staff, as the city now moves from a pilot to broader implementation with utility partners.