Power Outage This Morning

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A high voltage power line along Rt. 51 south across from the Fairgrounds Inn burned in two shortly after 7 a.m. today causing a power failure along Rt. 51, affecting most businesses in the area of the Southtown Shopping Center and many neighborhoods in Du Quoin. Ameren's line crews responded immediately to the failure and the repair was completed by 8 a.m.

The power failure resulted in a small electrical fire at the Du Quoin Mc Donald's. A three-phase electrical component at the restaurant got hot and sent small amounts of smoke into the building. Du Quoin firemen responded and assisted the staff in checking the building. There was no permanent damage.

The power failure also affected Ameren's natural gas regulating facility on Gas Plant Road behind Southtown. Ameren personnel monitored the return of gas pressure on the line and service personnel stood by at both the repair site on Rt. 51 and the gas plant to make sure all of its services were fully restored.