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Space-heater distribution starts in Aspen after day-long gas outage

Black Hills Energy delivering 4,000 heaters as the company works to fix what appears to be a tampering of Aspen natural gas supply

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The Aspen Police Department is distributing space heaters Monday evening to individuals who do not have heat in their homes due to a town-wide natural gas outage.

Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said at 5 p.m. Monday that the first shipment of nearly 4,000 space heaters were being delivered from Denver by Black Hills Energy.

At about 6:15 p.m. Linn said on the community meeting that the first 400 heaters had been distributed. A second truck arrived shortly before 7 p.m. and the distribution has begun again.



The space heaters are being distributed in a zone on Main Street in front of the APD building, between Spring and Hunter streets in the westbound lane.

The space-heater pick up will happen on Main Street in front of the Aspen Police Department. Parking is in the red area east of the station.

People are asked to drive to the pick-up area and wait in line until someone hands them a heater.

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“We will do contactless distribution,” officials said in an update Monday night. “If you pull up and open your passenger window, we will drop a heater in.”

Dozens of cars were backed up around Original Curve waiting for the toss from a police officer as the snow fell harder over the hour.

The officers simply asked the driver or passenger if they lived in Aspen and were without heat. Some were turned away if they were not a resident of Aspen.

Most people thanked them, and a few tried to get more than one or drove through the line again for a second attempt.

Others walked up to get a heater, like Diana Short, who lives a few block away.

“I’m so appreciative of what the city is doing,” she said, noting that she’ll most likely put the heater in her kid’s room.

The heaters are prioritized for individuals in need, not for businesses or hotels.

Forty were set aside for the vulnerable population.

Those with special needs can call (970) 379-1490 and request one for delivery.

Downvalley big box stores like Wal-Mart and Lowes reportedly had sold out of space heaters by Monday evening.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

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