Fair Lawn Plagued By Smoking Live Wires

The nearly three-dozen power lines down around Fair Lawn are not only preventing borough workers from clearing tree-blocked roadways, they've also exposed live wires that continue to smoke and alarm residents, police said.

Lt. Derek Bastinck said police don't have the manpower to stand guard at every live wire in town, but they have cordoned them off to ensure the public's safety.

However, as the wires continue to glow and smoke like a slow fuse, Bastinck said police have received an abundance of calls from concerned residents who report them as small electrical fires.

Bastinck said Tuesday that smoking wires on 26th Street, Morlot Avenue and Van Saun Place, and Plaza Road and Ramsey Terrace were "going pretty good" and have generated the most phone calls.

While the sight of smoking wires often frightens residents, Bastinck said police and fire are aware of the areas where downed wires are live and are on top of the situation -- even if they've been instructed by PSEG not to touch anything until the utility can arrive and cut the power.

Deputy OEM Coordinator Wendy Demeraski instructed residents to remain vigilant and assume all wires are live.

--

Follow Fair Lawn-Saddle Brook Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to receive our daily newsletter in your inbox each morning