Livewire: Neighborhood On Edge

More than 36 hours after violent thunderstorms ripped through the area, sparks and fire from a downed power line remain flickering in a River Forest alley, leaving nearby residents on edge.

"Seems like a disaster waiting to happen," wrote James Weiss, a resident in the 1200 block of Franklin, in an e-mail to Patch. "A spark could easily set one of the nearby houses (including ours next door) ablaze. Why isn't an ongoing fire a higher priority?"

The ordeal began when a giant tree limb fell atop power lines running through the alley around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. Remarkably, the neighborhood still has power.

While residents said they're relieved to have their lights on — unlike their neighbors just up the block — the occasional bright, flashing flames on the ground have them worried.

On Thursday morning, River Forest Fire Lt. Dave Witken said the situation remains under ComEd's control.

"They haven't released the lines. We can’t put water on the electric wires, that would be fatal to the firefighters," Witken said, adding that residents should stay away far away from the area.

Meanwhile, residents like Carlina Fox, are still playing the waiting game. She said they've been told to also keep an eye on their backyards.

"If the whole tree goes up in flames, we'll be sure to let them know," she said.

A pair of ComEd "wire watchers" have remained in the area to ensure the situation doesn't get out of control. They declined comment.

A ComEd spokeswoman said the restoration of power is the company's first priority, for public safety reasons, but part of the utility company's approach is to dispatch the wire watchers to "ensure public safety until we can get there."