Utility Lines Catch Fire at Spencer Road and Illinois Highway

A natural gas line caught fire Wednesday morning after a power line was downed.

At 9:29 a.m. Wednesday a brush fire was reported at Spencer Road and Illinois Highway, according to Chief Jon Mead. Upon arrival by the emergency crew, it was discovered a power line was down. It was "live and arcing."

The heat from the power line that lay on the asphalt got hot enough to start the underground natural gas line on fire. The cable is made of metal which carries an electric current.

"We had a natural gas fire coming up from the street," he said.

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The first priority was to evacuate a nearby house and then get the utility companies out there. ComEd arrived first and detached the live wire.

Electricity was out temporarily in several surrounding subdivisions. ComEd got it back up in about 30 minutes.

Nicor also showed up and immediately put pressure on the gas line to prevent the blaze from moving back into the line, Mead said. Nicor utility workers dug a hole over the cable, dug up the line and shut down the source.

Once the utility companies completed their safety procedures, the firefighters doused the blaze quickly. The brush fire had been contained, according to Mead. Firefighters left the scene about noon. 

Fire departments from Manhattan, Frankfort, Mokena, Lockport, Romeoville and Homer Glen assisted. Manhattan firefighters showed up with an engine truck, which was fortunate, the chief said.

"We got an ambulance call" while out at the fire. "We sent an ambulance and Manhattan backed it up with the engine."

Fire at a house on Cass Street caused about $150,000 damage

At 3:21 a.m. Wednesday New Lenox firefighters doused a house fire at 2468 E. Cass Ave. in Joliet. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, he said.

The fire was in a tri-level combination siding and wood frame home. A middle-aged couple were the only ones home at the time. The two escaped without injury.

Even that fire got a bit more tedious, he said. An ambulance call accompanied that too, Mead said.

"We don't just get one. We get two" at a time.