Planned gas shutoff leaves some Detroiters without heat for longer than expected

DTE says gas leak discovered amid planned gas outage

DETROIT – People living on Leslie Street on Detroit’s west side have been without gas or heat for the last 24 hours.

DTE Energy let the residents know that gas would be shut off on Leslie Street for repairs Tuesday, Dec. 8, but they weren’t told it would last 24 hours.

“It’s cold out here. My house is about 60 degrees,” said resident Bryan Joyce.

The residents reportedly received a notice on Monday that DTE crews would have to shut off the heat temporarily to conduct repairs on gas lines in the area. Joyce says the crews shut off the street’s gas early in the morning on Tuesday, and the gas has been off since -- leaving him, his wife and their two infant twin girls without heat.

“We have no hot water, no heat and no cooking gas,” Joyce said.

The whole block has been impacted by the temporary shutoff. Joyce says he has tried to contact the company several times, but there has been “no communication.”

DTE released the following statement Wednesday regarding the situation:

During a planned gas outage for maintenance, DTE crews discovered a gas leak. For the safety of both our customers and employees, the outage was extended while our crews worked to identify and isolate the leak. Gas service has been restored to majority of the impacted homes and we expect to have the remaining homes restored by 5 p.m. today.

The health and safety of our customers and employees is our top priority. Our crews have personally knocked on doors to provide customers with the most up-to-date information and are working as quickly and safely as possible to make the necessary repairs. DTE sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience customers experienced during this outage and that some customers were unable to receive updated information by phone.

Joyce says DTE crews have been working and repairing lines in the area for the last two or three weeks.


More: Local News


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