Crestview businesses evacuated for reported gas leak

A reported gas leak that resulted in the evacuation of businesses at a Crestview strip mall turned out to be a false alarm.

Emergency crews responded at 12:45 p.m. today to a call of a natural gas leak in Big Lots, located in the Crestview Corners mall on State Road 85 south of the Redstone Avenue intersection.

Customers and employees from Big Lots and neighboring businesses were evacuated while members of the Crestview Fire Department investigated the reported leak.

Employees told firefighters they smelled gas in the store.

Firefighters on scene determined the smell was caused by a Freon leak in the store’s cooling system. Employees and patrons were allowed to reenter the stores after about a half an hour.