A natural gas leak sparked fears of an explosion in ScarsdaleMonday, causing emergency crews to shut down streets, evacuate homes and keep kids out of a neighborhood preschool.

Fire officials say a private contractor was digging for drainage and hit what was once a gas line attached to a demolished home on Saxon Woods Road.

Emergency crews evacuated a quarter-mile surrounding the area, including a nursery school at the Westchester Reform Temple. More than 100 children were being dropped off at the time.

?Fortunately, all the parents were still on site, almost all of them, so they were able to take the children out right away,? says Joel Magid, of the Westchester Reform Temple. ?And the few that had left early were called on cell phones and came within 15 minutes.?

The Westchester Reform Temple expects to holds its regular afternoon programs.