Power line malfunction sparks concern in Buffalo neighborhood

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Concerns over an electrical power line in one Buffalo neighborhood has a city resident calling for action. This came after an incident earlier this month that sent sparks flying.

It was a scare in the middle of the night on the West Side with a power line on Carolina Avenue having a major malfunction, causing popping sounds and sending sparks flying to the ground.

“I woke up to the sound of loud banging and tried to make sense of it and eventually got out of bed,” said Michael Eder, who captured the above video on his Ring camera. “Made my way to the front of the house, saw lights kind of scattered beyond the shades of the window.”

“I’d like to say I was totally shocked, but since I had seen this happen one time before I thought, ‘oh no, not again,'” Eder said.

Another video clip shows sparks repeatedly hitting a car.

Within the hour, National Grid was on scene to inspect the power line and replace a damaged wire. However, Michael says he never got details on the work that was done and doesn’t know if the line is safe. Sparks from arcing could cause burns and blindness, and electrical arcing could cause a fire.

“It’s a huge concern for sure,” Eder said. “We get heavy foot traffic in this neighborhood. Lots of people are walking on the sidewalk. Houses don’t have front yards, kids play on the sidewalk. There’s a lot of kids around.”

Call 4 Action contacted National Grid to address Michael’s concerns. Since our inquiry, the utility company has called Michael to answer his questions and did an on-site visit Thursday.

“They’ve been great since I contacted you,” Eder said.

As a reminder, National Grid says call 911 or your local utility company if you suspect a power line is unsafe.

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Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.

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