Manhole Fire Near NYU Snarls West Village Traffic Updated February 4, 2011 12:47pm

Workers inspect a West 4th Street manhole where fire broke out Friday. (Jennifer Glickel/DNAinfo)

By Jennifer Glickel

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

GREENWICH VILLAGE — A manhole fire in the Village left traffic snarled Friday as thick smoke forced a section of West 4th Street to be closed.

The blaze broke out just after noon near the intersection with Greene Street, right outisde NYU's Stern School of Business, an FDNY spokesman said.

Nobody was hurt and Con Edison was at the scene.

It is the latest of dozens of manhole fires over the last few weeks, some of which have damaged cars.

"The snow is melting, there's a lot of salt in it, it gets down in those manholes where there's electricity and it causes fires and a lot of smoke," said the FDNY spokesman.

A fire near NYU left West 4th Street closed Friday. (Jennifer Glickel/DNAinfo)

West 4th Street was closed for half an hour between Mercer Street and Washington Square East.

By Adam Nichols, DNAinfo.com

Follow Adam on Twitter @adam__nichols