UPDATE, 12/28/2017: Black Hills Energy says natural gas service has been restored in Mountain View. Read their statement here.
UPDATE, 3:30 p.m. 12/27/2017: Shelters are being set up at Flatwoods Baptist Church and School Avenue Church of Christ.
An equipment malfunction this morning on the pipeline that supplies natural gas to Mountain View caused temporary service interruptions to parts of the city Black Hills Energy serves, the utility said in a news release this afternoon.
To safely fix the issue, technicians have to go door to door and turn off the approximately 355 affected gas meters in the town. After making repairs and re-pressurizing the lines, the energy company will be able to restore service to affected Mountain View customers. Crews will then go door to door to relight pilot lights. At locations where no one is home or the business is closed, employees will leave a tag on the door, notifying the customer that the natural gas has been shut off and to call the company to have it turned back on.
It is extremely important that customers do not attempt to re-light their own pilot lights on their furnaces or water heaters. The company asks customers whose service was interrupted to call (888) 890-5554 right away.
Because of extreme temperatures, Mountain View residents are encouraged to contact their neighbors who may be out of town. Please ask them to call Black Hills customer service so the company can check their home or building to make sure they have service so water pipes don’t freeze.
Customers can call (888) 890-5554 if they experience any natural gas service issues.
If any customer smells natural gas, they should leave their home immediately and call 911 and then Black Hills Energy’s emergency service line from a neighbor’s home or from a cell phone at (800) 694-8989. Don’t use the phone in the house where you smelled gas or turn off any lights as you leave. If there is gas in the house, a spark of any kind could ignite it and cause serious property and personal injuries.
