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A gas leak forced young Salina students to evacuate their school for a few hours Friday.
Crews were called to the Heusner Elementary around 10 a.m. to the report of a possible natural gas odor in the building. Students were evacuated and moved to nearby Sunrise Presbyterian Church.
"Obviously we wanted to get the kids out of the building," said William Hall, Superintendent. "We wanted to make sure they were safe. That was the first order of business."
A spokesman with Kansas Gas Services said a heating unit on the roof leaked, causing the odor. Firefighters shut off the unit, and students returned to class after lunch.
No one was hurt or ill because of the incident.
Parents could check out their students during the evacuation if necessary.
"As a parent you are always concerned about their safety when you are away from them," said Misty Frazier, parent of a third-grade student.
Officials said they were concerned after last week's deadly gas explosion on the plaza in Kansas City.
"If it does reach some sort of ignition source, you've always got that potential for an explosion or incident like that," said Roger Williams, Salina Fire Marshal.
Williams said the levels did not reach as high as the leak that sparked the plaza fire. But each situation should always be taken seriously.