Northwood High School goes back to business as usual as crews repair ruptured gas main

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The ruptured gas main that prompted the evacuation of Northwood High School on Wednesday has been sealed, and IUSD officials confirmed that the campus will resume its regular schedule on Thursday. As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the eastbound lanes of Portola Parkway were open, the westbound lanes were expected to follow within the hour and all evacuations had been lifted. Irvine Police Lt. Julia Engen confirmed that the gas leak caused by road construction earlier in the day was securely sealed. In an email sent to Northwood High families, Principal Leslie Roach thanked her staff and students for their patience and cooperation during the evacuation. "Everyone remained calm and followed directions," Roach wrote. "It kept the situation manageable and safe for all involved. A special thank you to the Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Fire Authority for keeping us informed and ensuring the safety of our students and staff." "We did cancel all events on campus tonight," she added, "but are planning to get back to our normal schedule tomorrow morning."