Gas leak brings on school evacuation

A natural gas leak brought Metra trains to a halt and prompted the evacuation of Deerfield High School Tuesday, officials said.

The gas main was broken by a company working in the parkway near Deerfield High School at Waukegan Road and High School Drive around 3:15 p.m., Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Bob Toporek said.

Officials halted all inbound and outbound Milwaukee North Line trains as a precaution, causing delays of about 30 minutes, Metra officials said. Waukegan Road was also closed, causing traffic delays in the area.

Underground gas main breaks are especially dangerous in the winter because the gas can travel under the frost layer and come to the surface in different areas through storm sewers and cracks in the road, Toporek said.

"It's actually pretty dangerous in the winter because it can travel pretty far before you smell it," Toporek said.

No one was injured.