REPUBLIC -- A propane line leak 25 feet from the Republic-Michigamme School caused an evacuation on Tuesday, according to officials.
At around 11:15 a.m. a contractor was digging 25 feet from the school for a fence when the machinery hit an unmarked gas line.
According to authorities the vehicle digging the holes then caught fire, but the operator was able to get off safely.
"I heard 'shhhhh,' and the guy that was helping me was like, 'We got a gas leak,' and then it got really bad, really loud," said Bobcat operator Trevor Williams. "Then it was just nothing but fumes in the air, and I got out of it, shut the machine off. That's when it just burst into flames."
The incident is still being investigated. The Republic-Michigamme School will not be in session on Wednesday as a result of the gas line leak.
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