I looked for any updates on this story...
The paper still has not reported on the cause of the downed wire (apparently, the POCO is still investigating that one).
Perhaps the answer to "how much voltage" could be "enough to start a fire..."
There was an overhead photo in the paper, showing basically charred remains of a large, rectangular structure.
Fortunately, nobody was injured!
EDIT:
P. S. If I'm not mistaken, there was a fire in Paterson, NJ, some time ago in which firefighters fell through the roof. The result was fatal.
[This message has been edited by ThinkGood (edited 03-27-2003).]