Northside Homes Without Heat After Gas Leak, Small Fire

Warming buses were brought in to help those near the 6700 block of North Oconto Avenue escape from the cold

More than 80 homes were without heat Thursday morning after a gas main was damaged in the Edison Park neighborhood, on the city's Northwest Side.

Crews worked through the night in the area of the 6700 block of North Oconto Avenue after a gas line ruptured as crews worked on a water line at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. A resulting fire was quickly extinguished, but water from the firefighting efforts slowed repairs to the gas service, officials said.

"It's cold. But it's OK. You've got to put up with it," said resident Lydia Erskine. "These guys are doing a great job out here. I'm not out here doing what they're doing."

Warming buses were brought in to help those affected escape from the cold. Outside temperatures overnight were in the teens and low 20s.

Once repairs were fully completed, technicians were to go door-to-door to manually switch on gas for the homes, People's Gas spokeswoman Jennifer Block said.

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