Nicor crews were still working at midnight repairing a gas main break.
A gas main leak was reported north of the intersection of Kennicott and Dundee Road [MAP/SAT] Wednesday about 4:00 p.m. The Arlington Heights Fire Department is notifying tenants and evacuating customers of the Ridge Plaza Shopping Center. The fire department is also standing by while Nicor responds to fix the leak. Businesses affected by the evacuation include Fox & Hound, Xsport Fitness, Karnes Music, Harbor Freight, Subway and Kohl’s Department Store. A spokesperson at one of the businesses reported at about 6:45 p.m. that they thought they would be closed for about three hours. Some stores were only evacuated for a very short time while the electric power was shut down as a safety precaution while the gas line was repaired. Kohl’s was only closed for a short time while the electricity was down. Other businesses were closed for a longer period because of their proximity to the leak and as a precaution in case they were affected by leaking gas.
The Arlington Heights Police Department has blocked Kennicott between Dundee Road and Happfield.
Nicor crews sampled air quality as a precaution at Ridge Plaza in front of Xsport Fitness.
Nicor crews sampled air quality as a precaution overnight.
People from a wide area near the break could smell the characteristic odor associated with natural gas (methane). Methane is a colorless, odorless gas and the smell associated with natural gas is an artificial safety measure caused by the addition of a deliberate odorant, often methanethiol or ethanethiol. Winds at the time were from the North and variable to Northeast and East Northeast at about 5 to 15 miles per hour.
— mb