Extreme Cold Becoming Concern for Central Mass. Residents

(NECN: Kristen Carosa) - Worcester, Mass. landlord Anthony Vigliotti woke to a phone call Friday morning from one of his tenants.

"Got a call from the Kenechi Restaurant - a pipe burst - water was coming into the restaurant," Vigliotti says.

A pipe froze in the attic of the four story building on Shrewsbury Street, causing water to leak all the way to the first floor. It left the entire building without heat.

"I have owned this building since the late 70s - I've had this problem before. Its got to be the unusual coldness we are experiencing," Vigliotti says.

With even more extreme temperatures on the way, the state is issuing warnings to residents to prevent emergencies like pipes freezing.

"If your pipes freeze, don't use any type of open fire to thaw a pipe. Use a hair dryer, it's the safest way to do it," State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan says.

Coan is also warning residents when it comes to heating your home. He says if you lose power, stay at a relative's home and if you must use a space heater, he has some advice.

"There should be nothing burnable around the space heater. Keep the three feet surrounding the space heater empty," he says.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for the remainder of this week.

Temperatures could fall below zero in many areas.

"Dress in layers - don't just throw a t-shirt on and a heavy jacket - by dressing in many light layers you will trap in heat - that is what will protect you," MEMA PIO Peter Judge says.

While the extreme cold is expected to last through the weekend, officials say it's a good time to prepare for the entire winter season.

Vigliotti says his experience is unfortunate, but others can learn from it.

"Whether it's myself or any other landlord, we all have to a reassess because of the cold that has come along. Things may happen that you might not have thought of before," he says.

Click here for weather emergency information and click here for the latest forecast.

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