Downtown Denver underground explosion rockets manhole covers into air, sparks fire, injures one

A worker was injured as at least two manhole covers were blown into the air Friday afternoon in downtown Denver, one soaring about 30 feet high as flames shot out of the ground.

The incident happened about 12:30 p.m. near the intersection of 17th and Arapahoe streets, according to the Denver Fire Department.

A worker was using a jackhammer at slightly below street level when the blast occurred. One worker was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries, said Capt. Greg Pixley, a fire department spokesman.

Fire alarms at a nearby office building were triggered by smoke streaming into the parking garage. The initial explosion, which launched the manhole covers, sent a “compressed sound” rattling off nearby office buildings, shaking windows, Pixley said.

A contractor was operating a jackhammer when an underground electric line, supplying juice to street and traffic lights, was hit, said Mark Stutz, an Xcel Energy spokesman. The injured worker does not work for Xcel. Further details on the worker’s injuries were not released.

An electrical fire burned below 17th Street from Lawrence to Champa streets, the fire department said. The incident shut down traffic early in the afternoon from 16th to 18th streets and Lawrence to Champa streets.

The explosion happened over the noon hour, when downtown streets are busy with thousands of workers going out for lunch. “We’re very lucky a manhole cover didn’t injure a passer-by,” Pixley said. There also were concerns about an unbridled electrical charge being dispersed by the incident.

An investigation into what triggered the blast and flames is ongoing. An electrical arc sparking underground gases is possible. No Xcel natural gas leaks were reported in the area Friday.

The fire department has turned the scene over to Xcel Energy. As of 4:45 p.m., crews were still working at the intersection trying to restore power to the intersection traffic lights.

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