A manhole fire in Brooklyn destroys the family’s car and a little girl’s Thanksgiving birthday presents

A little girl’s birthday plans went up in smoke after a manhole fire spread to her family’s car – and all of their presents – on Thanksgiving in Brooklyn, the girl’s mother said.

“Many gifts were destroyed,” said 43-year-old Suelin Chen. “My daughter is devastated.”

The two-alarm electrical fire ignited around noon in a manhole on Remsen St. near Hicks St. in Brooklyn Heights and gutted Chen’s Subaru SUV parked nearby, FDNY Deputy Chief Stephen Corcoran said.

The FDNY said 25 units, consisting of 106 firefighters and EMS personnel, responded to the fire. No injuries were reported.

Chen, her husband and their two daughters, including the birthday girl who turned 8 on Thanksgiving this year, drove from Massachusetts to Brooklyn on Wednesday for a planned weeklong trip to visit friends over the holidays.

The little birthday girl was looking forward to blowing out candles and eating cake at a party in New Jersey on Thursday evening. But the fire left her family stranded in Brooklyn and the girl crying, her mother said.

“The car was completely burned,” Chen said. “We had a lot of stuff in there, my children’s bikes, a scarf that I spent over a year knitting for my daughter, her shoes, books, iPads – everything burned.

“My daughter cried a lot,” she added.

Chen said Con Edison workers apologized to her family at the scene, but she hopes the utility will offer more than just condolences given their damaged property.

“I know it’s Thanksgiving, but it would be great if we could get some sort of reassurance,” she said. “It’s a lot of money for my family and we’re not sure how we’re going to get home.

“Of course it’s just stuff, but at the same time I really hope Con Ed takes care of it.”

A Con Edison spokeswoman said the utility was aware of the destroyed Subaru and planned to work with the vehicle’s owners to seek compensation.

“We are aware of the damage caused by the Brooklyn Manhole Fire,” she said. “We will remain in contact with the family and support them through their application process.”

As firefighters rushed to put out the flames in Chen’s Subaru, a fire broke out in a fourth-floor apartment near Remsen St.

Firefighters had to wait for Con Edison to arrive and shut off power to the building before they could fight the fire, which caused extensive damage and displaced a family on Thanksgiving.

Corcoran said the house fire is also likely related to the manhole fire.

“The cause of the fire in the building, which we believe is related to the electrical fire on the street, is still under investigation,” he said.

Originally published: November 29, 2024 at 4:59 pm EST