Gas Odor Leads to Brief Evacuation at Day Care

LONGVIEW � A South Longview daycare reopened Thursday morning after a half-hour evacuation when workers detected a gaseous odor. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report that fire, hazardous materials, and police units responded to Longview Child Development Center, in the 1200 block of South High Street, shortly after 8:00am. Administrators said they smelled gas in the front entryway and hallways before evacuating children to a nearby playground and calling authorities and parents. Several parents arrived to pick up their children during the evacuation. Shortly after 8:45, crews with the Longview Hazardous Materials and Rescue Unit tested the air and determined that it was safe for children to return to the building.