Washington Heights Fire Hydrant Break: Possibly 10 Feet Of Water

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A broken fire hydrant in Washington Heights left as much as 10 feet of water in the basement of a building, utility and fire officials said. As many as three residences were forced to evacuate on Sunday as Con Edison and transportation officials responded to the scene at 380 Audubon Ave, near West 184th Street, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department of New York said.

"There's possibly 10 feet of water in the building," FDNY told Patch. She added: "It looks like possibly the basement was filled with water,"

No injuries were reported.

FDNY could not confirm that other buildings were affected, but said there were possible road closures in the area. The spokeswoman did not know exactly which roads were closed.

Water was still leaking as of 1 p.m., she said.

Con Ed spokesman Mike Clendenin on Sunday confirmed the utility responded — as it often does to water main breaks — to turn off electrical services at the building. But it wasn't a water main break as initially suspected by FDNY, he said.

"That wasn't a broken water main, it was a broken fire hydrant," Clendenin said. Con Ed has turned off electrical services and said DEP workers are now trying to pump water out of the basement.

"There was a lot of water in the basement," he said, "So we had to shut the electric off to that building at the request of the fire department."

Once they get the water pumped out, electric will be restored, he said.

Google Maps shows a squat, silver fire hydrant sitting just outside Albadawe Express Deli on West 184th Street.

A message left with Manhattan Borough Commissioner Luis Sanchez with the New York City Department of Transportation wasn't immediately returned.

A message left with Albadawe Express Deli, listed as the affected address, wasn't immediately returned.

Photo credit: Screenshot Google Maps