Kenmore is dense village housing, most of it a century old, on small lots with buildings close together. A great many are two-family with an upper flat.
The upper flat is the specific risk. A vacant or lightly used upper unit through a Buffalo winter is where pipes freeze, and nobody is there to notice for however long it takes.
What we deal with in Kenmore homes
Frozen supply lines in exterior walls and unheated spaces lead the winter work. When they let go, they let go on the thaw rather than the freeze, and the water runs through the whole building.
The older stock also brings original plumbing that has been extended, and cast iron waste lines at the end of their life.
How do I stop pipes freezing in an upper flat nobody uses?
Keep heat on in it, even minimally, and open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls. If it will be empty for a long stretch, shut the main and drain the system rather than trusting a thermostat.
A pipe froze but has not burst. What now?
Do not use a flame on it. Warm it gently and slowly with the tap open so pressure has somewhere to go, and know where your shutoff is before you start, because the split shows itself when the ice clears.