Impact of gas main leak blaze in Chester to continue 'into next week'
The fire service and gas company were called out to an emergency on Dee Banks on Friday
Cadent Gas say they expect the impact to continue into next week - after residents were evacuated from their homes in Chester.
It happened when a gas main leak caught fire on Dee Banks in Chester on Friday evening (21 June).
A dedicated phone line has been set up, whilst they've set up a customer centre in Huntington Village Hall for locals - with the firm saying they are 'working hard' with the local community to make sure supplies are brought back as soon as possible.
Since the incident, the gas company have confirmed they are now carrying out repairs to the gas main; turning off the supply of gas in the area; and then working to re-visit the properties which have been impacted to make sure the gas supply can be safely turned on again.
In an update on their website yesterday afternoon (22 June), they said: "Good afternoon residents of East Chester affected by the loss of gas supply today.
"Last night we worked with the emergency services and Scottish Power to put out the fire on the gas main in the Dees Bank area. As a result of the damage to our gas pipe we had to cut of the gas supply to a number of properties in the area. This decision was not taken lightly and we understand the consequences of this decision and the impact on residents and businesses in the area.
"This morning we have been organising resources and gaining extra help from around the NW and beyond.
"We must visit all the homes in the area first, to ensure the gas supply to each home is safely turned off. Please DO NOT try to do this yourself. This will take some time, so please bear with us.
"In parallel to this work we are working on repairing the damaged gas pipe. At this stage we do not know how long this will take.
"Once every property has been turned off safely and we can get gas back into the network, we must revisit all of the affected properties to carry out our safety checks, before the gas supplies to homes and businesses can be turned back on. Again, please DO NOT try to do this yourself.
"We are in the process of organising a dedicated phone line for this incident and a Customer Centre based at Huntington Village Hall, Butterbache Road, Huntington, Chester CH3 6DB that will be open from 15:30 Saturday 22nd of June 2024. Please bear with us, we will continue to keep you updated through this webpage and social media too.
"We do expect this incident to carry on into early next week. We are doing everything we can to bring extra resources to site, work with the local authority and others, to bring this incident to a close as safely and quickly as possible."