WHAT CHEER – Residents of the city of What Cheer were advised to stay indoors and not light any fires Friday night into Saturday morning after a natural gas leak in the city’s downtown area.

The gas leak was first reported on Friday night at around 7:00 PM. What Cheer Volunteer Fire and Rescue advised residents of the leak and emergency crews were quickly on scene to resolve the situation. Crews worked overnight into Saturday morning to set up a bypass system to allow them to safely enter the hole and work on repairing the leak.

On Saturday morning, at 8:42 AM, What Cheer Fire and Rescue reported that the leak had been contained and repaired, and that the cleanup process had started.

Residents were further advised that they may continue to notice a lingering gas odor “for a little while” as the smell dissipates, but that does not mean that the leak is still active. Those who have a strong gas odor in their homes, have any concerns, or begin experiencing symptoms are reminded to call 911 immediately.

What Cheer Fire and Rescue publicly thanked members of their department as well as Alliant Energy and City of What Cheer employees who worked throughout the entire night to address the situation.