Vernon Hills day care evacuated after gas leak

A day care facility was evacuated and a portion of Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills closed Friday morning as a result of a gas leak.

Firefighters called to the truck entrance at CDW about 9:53 a.m. found a construction crew had damaged a 2-inch-high pressure natural gas line that was leaking.

Lakeview Parkway from CDW Way to near Vernon Hills High School was closed as firefighters, CDW security and Vernon Hills police cleared the area.

"We had 150 to 200 kids," Jim Weber, battalion chief for the Countryside Fire Protection District, said of the evacuated day care. "It's part of CDW, but it's a stand-alone building."

The building was about 100 yards east of the gas leak, according to Weber, and the children were relocated to a safe haven within the main CDW building. No injuries were reported.

Crews monitored the immediate area and North Shore Gas shut the down the gas main and stopped the leak.

The entire event lasted about an hour until the area was deemed safe and Lakeview reopened to traffic.

"The cooperation between CDW security, the Vernon Hills police department and us - it worked out well," Weber said.