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Council committee reviews Charlestown overhead-wire fire and utility safety; officials cite high cost to underground lines
Summary
A hearing on electrical equipment safety examined a Charlestown July incident where overhead wires ignited; utility and city officials discussed equipment failures, response coordination gaps, and estimated undergrounding costs of $6–10 million per mile.
A City Council hearing on electrical equipment maintenance and utility safety reviewed a July Charlestown incident in which overhead wires ignited and damaged property, and officials discussed potential policy and operational responses.
Councilor Carlos Zapata, sponsor of the hearing order, said panels from Eversource, National Grid, Verizon and city departments described the incident and steps to improve transformer upgrades and staff training. Utility witnesses acknowledged equipment failure exacerbated by extreme heat and underscored the complexity and high cost of undergrounding overhead lines; one estimate cited during testimony put the cost at approximately $6 million to $10 million per mile, with excavation and municipal costs a major factor.
Councilors and residents urged better emergency coordination and communications, and discussed whether targeted undergrounding in high-risk corridors is feasible. The committee left the docket in committee for further study and follow-up with utilities and emergency-management agencies.
