A gas leak at a Brookfield preschool forced the evacuation of 25 children, including eight infants, and nine staff members on Tuesday morning.
Police and firefighters were called to the Alphabet Learning Center at 9220 Broadway Ave. at about 9:10 a.m. after staff reported smelling natural gas inside the building.
Firefighters determined that the leak was due to ice “melting over the meter and causing it to ‘purge’ natural gas,” said Brookfield Police Lt. Edward Petrak.
Nicor arrived on the scene and determined that the meter was frozen because of ice that had formed on it, according to police. In the meantime, all of the children were evacuated to the Brookfield fire station just a few doors west at 9248 Broadway Ave., where a temporary shelter was set up. Firefighters wheeled over cribs from the preschool to the firehouse for the infants.
Parents were notified to pick up their children at the fire station, and police remained on scene until all of the children were picked up by a parent or guardian.
