No injuries reported after gas leak shuts down La Grange Park School

No one was injured in a gas leak Thursday afternoon that forced a school to shut down in west suburban La Grange Park.

Fire crews responded about 12:10 p.m. to a call of a natural gas leak at the Congregation of St. Joseph, 1515 Ogden Ave., according to the La Grange Park Fire Department. Gas was then found leaking from the ground east of the complex and west of the adjacent Nazareth Academy High School, 1209 W. Ogden Ave.

The area was immediately secured, and fire crews began monitoring the air in adjacent buildings, including senior residential and assisted living facilities, the fire department said.

Despite reports of gas odors in some of the buildings, it was determined that they did not need to be evacuated following further investigation and monitoring for gas levels, the fire department said. However, a large area between St. Joseph and Nazareth was closed to traffic.

The leak appears to have been caused by a contractor who struck and damaged a two-inch gas service line feeding into Nazareth, the fire department said.

Nicor Gas employees ultimately responded to the scene, excavating the area to reach the damaged line and stop the flow of gas, the fire department said. The leak was brought under control by 3 p.m.

As part of the effort to control the leak, Nazareth’s gas was shut off, the fire department said. On Thursday, classes let out early at 1 p.m., and the school will remain closed to students on Friday.

No injuries were reported, the fire department said.