Gas leak forces evacuation of Huntley facilities

More than 100 people were evacuated from assisted and supportive living facilities as well as a small office building on Regency Parkway in Huntley Thursday because of a gas leak.

A contractor hit a gas main just before 9 a.m. while digging for a streetlight, according to the Huntley Fire Protection District. The decision to evacuate the three buildings came after air quality testing deemed them too dangerous to occupy.

DeerPath Supportive Living and Heritage Woods Assisted Living evacuated 78 residents, who were shuttled to Huntley Village Hall. There were also 25 employees, three cats and a dog who were safely escorted from the affected buildings, fire officials said. They were taken to the village hall in ambulances, buses and vans.

There were no injuries reported.

NICOR responders stopped the gas leak at about 10 a.m. After an hour of ventilation and monitoring, residents and employees were allowed to return to the buildings.

Fire departments from Algonquin/Lake in the Hills, Hampshire, Crystal Lake, Woodstock, Lakewood, Carpentersville, Marengo, South Elgin, Genoa-Kingston, West Dundee, Rutland Dundee, Pingree Grove and Union all arrived to help with the emergency response.