A Michigan natural gas provider has asked customers to turn down their thermostats to 65°. A fire broke out on Wednesday morning at one of Consumers Energy’s compressor stations, impacting the gas supply provided for Detroit and the surrounding areas.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer took to Facebook and television to request that residents turn down their thermostats until Friday afternoon. She followed the announcement up with an emergency notification that was texted to cell phones throughout the state.

According to ABC12, this particular facility is responsible for more than 60% of the natural gas supplied by Consumers Energy. Since supply had to be shut off to battle the blaze, the public was asked to temporarily reduce their usage.

For now, Consumers is relying on natural gas supply from two other stores, but those sources do not have the equipment available to distribute it quickly. They are working quickly to get the Macomb County facility back up and running.

Heat demand was increased when temperatures dropped below zero on Wednesday morning. Turning down the heat will help reduce the risk of service interruption for homes and businesses. The company’s commercial clients – which include Ford, General Motors, Gerdau – are also participating in the effort to help as the problem is fixed.

It is expected that people can turn the dial back up after 12:00 pm on Friday. Check out this video to hear how residents are handling the request.

Do you live in Michigan where this is happening? How would you react to an emergency like this?