Three manhole explosions rocked Brooklyn Heights on Sunday. Here is an excerpt from an account featured on the Brooklyn Heights blog:

I live on Willow Place not far from the explosion site — we were allowed back into our building app 5:15/5:30 pm. Two teams — fire dept and gas co? — came into our place to check for gas/carbon monoxide. However, a neighbor further south on Willow Place had not yet been let in — there were still “dangerous readings” of some sort in his house. Some Joralemon St residents were held back as well.

I think the explosions actually started a little before 1:00 pm — I can tell from the call log on my cell phone. The first explosion was deafeningly loud. I had also noticed , about 10:00 am this morning, that workmen were ripping up the street at the house being renovated on Willow Place-right next to the MTA substation/power station. I debated coming over to them to complain — my understanding was that it was National Grid putting in a gas line for the long-abandoned house, and it’s illiegal to do non-emergency work on a holiday or weekend. (You need special permits.) Since the jackhammering started c. 9/10 am, rather than the usual 7 am, and since it stopped pretty quickly, I didn’t complain. Why alienate a new neighbor?