Frozen water vapor in a gas transmission line on Douglas Pass caused gas outages to more than 2,000 Grand Junction customers today, leaving homes and businesses without heat on the coldest day this winter.
Xcel Energy spokesperson Fred Eggleston said the problem in the frozen line was fixed in about three hours, but the company is now scrambling to relight pilot lights on furnaces and water heaters in residential areas of Orchard Mesa, Clifton and north of Grand Junction, including Walker Field Airport and many businesses on the Horizon Drive commercial district along I-70.
Authorities were able to pinpoint six areas without gas in the valley:
- Loma: South of Highway 6 & 50 to Interstate 70 between 11 ½ Road and 14 Road
- Fruita interchange between 17 Road and 18 Road south of the Interstate to the Colorado River
- Grand Junction: Walker Field Airport to 26 Road north of Interstate 70
- Clifton: 31 Road to 33 Road south of the Business Loop to C ½ Road
- Orchard Mesa: 29 Road to 31 Road north of U.S. Highway 50 to B Road
- Grand Junction: 21 Road to 24 Road north of I-70 to K Road
The Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter at Canyon View Vineyard Church in Grand Junction for those without heat and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is urging people in the affected neighborhoods to check on their neighbors.
Eggleston said 35 crews are enroute to Grand Junction from other parts of the state to help answer the 800 calls for restarting pilot lights.
The outage came on a day when early morning temperatures dropped to -8. The temperatures are expected to fall nearly that low again overnight.
Xcel is asking affected customers to call 1-800-895-2999.
