SACO — A gas line break Thursday during road construction at the intersection of High and Beach Streets caused a brief evacuation of a nearby daycare center.
Unitil Corporation Spokesman Alec O’Meara said crews were dispatched shortly after noon Thursday and the area was “made safe” about 45 minutes later.
Shaws Brothers Construction, which has been doing road work in the area for several weeks, was removing asphalt on High Street in the vicinity of a natural gas valve when the line broke, causing natural gas to escape, according to a statement from Saco Police.
When it was determined the gas couldn’t be quickly shut off, public safety officials discussed the matter with the Unitil response team and evacuated nearby buildings, including the Leap and Learn Too daycare facility and a law firm, according to police.
About 30 children and several daycare staff members were escorted to the nearby Burns School parking lot and were preparing to enter the school when the gas line was secured and the free-flowing gas stopped, according to police. Staff and children were escorted back to the facility shortly after 1 p.m., and no injuries were reported.
Saco Police Chief Brad Paul complimented the quick response of the public safety departments, and the competence and professionalism of daycare staff and noted a few parents arrived to help as well.
“It’s a big job getting that many young children ready to move quickly, keeping them calm and in good spirits, and safely moving them to another location,” said Paul in a written statement.
The street was opened shortly after 1 p.m., according to police.
Saco Superintendent of Schools Dominic DePatsy said the daycare has an evacuation plan that calls for evacuating the children to Burns, and the School Department is “more than happy” to provide a location to ensure the children’s safety.
No one from Leap N Learn was available for comment by press deadline.
The damaged line was installed earlier this year as part of the first phase of a natural gas expansion in Saco.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].
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