T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Multiple first responders report to the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville after a vehicle struck a natural gas line in front of the Boscov’s entrance of the mall.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A vehicle struck a gas meter near the Ohio Valley Mall’s main entrance Friday afternoon, prompting the Cumberland Trail Fire District to temporarily evacuate the shopping center.

“A vehicle hit a gas meter, so we are following the direction of the fire department,” Ohio Valley Mall Marketing Director Candi Noble-Greathouse said as the situation unfolded.

The mall posted on its social media account to help clear the premises.

“Please leave the mall immediately, we will advise you when it is safe to return,” mall staff wrote.

The Cumberland Trail Fire District, Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, Belmont County Emergency Management Agency, Bridgeport Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, St. Clairsville Police Department, Richland Township Police Department, Bridgeport Fire Department and Barton Volunteer Fire Department were all on the scene to ensure everyone at the mall was escorted off the property for their safety.

Roughly two hours after the mall was evacuated at 12:30 p.m., Joe Bell, director of corporate communications for the mall’s parent the Cafaro Co. sent out a press release stating that the mall had reopened.

“Earlier this afternoon, a delivery truck accidentally damaged a natural gas line. While the mall was briefly evacuated, gas company crews arrived and quickly dealt with the problem,” Bell wrote. “It is now safe for all visitors and mall workers to re-enter the building.”

Cumberland Trail Fire Chief Tim Hall said that the vehicle struck a gas meter in front of Boscov’s, creating a natural gas leak.

“Due to the size of the line and the amount of gas that was coming out of it, as a precautionary measure we evacuated the mall because there was an odor of gas inside Boscov’s at the main entrance to the Ohio Valley Mall. And we were also getting readings on our meter. We decided to evacuate the mall and then, per the guidance of Columbia Gas, we also shut the power down at the mall,” Hall said. “Columbia Gas was able to shut that line off at another location, and that enabled the mall to reopen.”

He added that members of his Cumberland Trail crew, along with Barton VFD went inside of the facility with positive pressure fans to help ventilate any remaining gas that was inside of the mall.

After the crews went into the mall with the positive pressure fans, Columbia Gas also went inside with metering devices and walked the mall to ensure that everything was safe for shoppers and employees to return to the mall.

Hall added that no other businesses surrounding the mall were instructed to evacuate due to the gas leak being contained to the mall itself.