UPDATE: NBC4 has their videos stupidly set to play automatically every time you refresh the page, so we moved the embedded video as a courtesy to our readers. If you’d like to see the video, you can follow this link or see it embedded below the fold. Photo above is by Bullneck.

DCist has a long and well documented irrational fear of manhole mishaps, so we thought we’d better share the glorious terror of this NBC4 video of yesterday’s manhole fire in the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Ave. NW, which happened just before 2 p.m. Thankfully, no one was injured in the explosion, and authorities investigating the scene managed to get the street reopened after a few hours. Yolanda Lee uploaded this video to nbc4.com.