DTE Crews Deal With Snapped Pole, Down Lines
DETROIT (WWJ) - The weather was causing some problems for utility companies and police on Friday. In Detroit, crews were busy dealing with downed and sparking wires.
On the city's east side, a light pole snapped near its top and caught fire.
DTE Energy and city crews rushed to the scene of Albion and 7 Mile Road, near Hoover, to deal with the problem. Reporting from the scene at around noon, WWJ Newsradio 950's Beth Fisher said the pole was smoking and flames would shoot up occasionally.
She spoke with Jeff Beard who lives across the street.
"I just want them to replace the street light because the street light barely works; when I come out of my house at night it's dark," said Beard. "I can't hardly see anything so they say they will replace the light."
Added Greg Ellis, who also lives near by, "I think they need some new poles, because it doesn't look like it's been hit. It just broke off!"
A worker at the scene said he expects the repairs to take all day.
Detroit has roughly 88,000 street lamps, about half of which the city estimates are in disrepair. A new Public Lighting Authority, created by in accordance with a new state law passed last month, will concentrate first on restoring functional lighting near schools and population centers.
WWJ AccuWeather Meteorologist Danielle Knittle said skies would remain cloudy throughout the day, with a stray shower possible. Friday's unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to stretch into Saturday, with highs reaching into the upper 50s. (Detroit's record high temperature for Jan. 12 is 63)
For the latest forecast, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check for recent traffic incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.
