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SEMCO crews have begun the long process of restoring natural gas service to 1,400 customers in the L’Anse area.
UPDATE – Technicians now say they hope to have most, if not all, of their gas customers up and running by the end of the day.
Representatives must visit each of the customers personally, to turn the gas line back on at the meter, check to see that the line is functioning, and make sure furnaces and other gas appliances are properly restarted. Company officials emphasize that there must be someone at the building to assist them. Under no circumstances should you try to turn the gas on by yourself.
If your home or building is unoccupied, you will need to call SEMCO to set up an appointment using their regular turn-on procedure. Call 1-800-624-2019, and follow the prompts.
Meanwhile, a warming center established at Baraga High School by the Red Cross received little use overnight. The school will remain open until the emergency is over. Cots and food are available. Backup warming centers set up at the Big Bucks Bingo Hall and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College have been closed. UPDATE – The warming center has now been closed.
Gas service was disrupted at 4:00 Friday morning when a car crashed into the gate station that feeds the L’Anse area. A ruptured line caught fire, forcing US-41 to be closed for 90 minutes. The blaze was controlled by firefighters. Damage to the gate station was repaired late Friday. SEMCO crews from around the state have been brought to the area to help restore service.
Baraga County Memorial Hospital continues to operate, using backup heat sources. Officials at L’Anse United Lutheran Church and L’Anse United Methodist Church have indicated that their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will proceed as scheduled, whether or not heat has been restored.
For updates from SEMCO, click here.
