Bloomfield School evacuated because of natural gas leak

Superintendent Dan Sichting reports that the approximate 1,000 students in the elementary, junior high and high school were released early.

The students were dismissed from a "safe place" away from the building and were able to board buses about 30 minutes earlier than the normal dismissal time.

Sichting said a contractor disassembling a boiler in the elementary school basement had ruptured a natural gas line. The work was being done directly below the elementary cafeteria as part of the school's renovation project.

"The workers were working in our mechanical room which is underneath our cafeteria," Sichting said.

The workman were taking out older boilers that will be replaced with modern high-efficient units this summer.

The superintendent said very few elementary students were in the building when the leak occurred. They were outdoors participating in the school's annual track and field day program.

Personnel from the Bloomfield Fire Department were dispatched to the scene along with workman from Midwest Natural Gas Company.

The leak was quickly capped and fire personnel were called off the scene about 2:45 p.m.

"We were concerned when we allowed them (the contractors) to start doing some demolition in there. We wanted to make sure it didn't disrupt the education environment. We were concerned with noise. Now that this has happened next week is our finals week and they (the contractors) won't be working next week," the superintendent concluded. "We'll wait until the students are out of the building for the summer before they'll start working."