READING, MASS. (WHDH) - Businesses along Main Street in Reading had to be evacuated after a possible power surge on Wednesday.
The entire area was sealed off and traffic was diverted as crews worked the scene near Reading Square. 7NEWS has been told that a power surge likely began at around 10:30 a.m. at one business then spread down the street to several others. The Reading Municipal Light Department cut power to eight businesses in the area out of an abundance of caution. It is unknown when power may be restored.
People inside some of the businesses in the area described hearing a loud noise before the power went out.
“All of a sudden, I heard a big ‘thud,'” said Josh Latham, who evacuated one of the affected buildings. “Probably within about 10 seconds, my power cord started smoking, started flashing a little bit, then just died out.”
He added that he smelled “some pretty bad smoke smells,” heard the condenser working quickly and saw the lights flicker. He called the fire department, who responded quickly and told them to evacuate the building.
The Reading Police Department issued a statement confirming Latham’s account from other businesses, and said that Main Street has since reopened to traffic, but drivers were still encouraged to seek alternate routes during the day. Crews were on scene Wednesday afternoon to evaluate transformers in the area.
No injuries were reported as firefighters went door-to-door to ensure no one was still inside any of the eight affected businesses.
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