A natural gas leak forced the Viewmont Mall to be evacuated in Lackawanna County Thursday afternoon.
According to a Facebook post from the Dickson City Police Department, firefighters were called to the scene for smoke coming from electrical meters and a natural gas leak. UGI and PPL have also been called to the scene.
PPL released the following statement around 6:30 p.m.:
"PPL Electric Utilities responded to a situation in the Dickson City area around 5:00 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 following reports of a fire and natural gas leak. For safety, electricity was deenergized, initially impacting 1,000 customers.
"Using our smart grid technology, crews quickly isolated the issue and safely restored power to the vast majority of affected customers. As of 6:10 p.m., only seven customers remain without power.
"We continue to monitor the situation closely. Estimated restoration times for the remaining customers may vary as work progresses."
— Haley O'Brien and Roger DuPuis