An improperly turned off gas stove led to the evacuation of a portion of Avalon Oaks on New Year’s Day.

Firefighters were called to the area on Tuesday morning when a resident reported the smell of gas. Residents were evacuated from the building and the gas company shut off all lines in the complex to attempt to find the source of the leak.

Deputy Fire Chief Rick McClellan said a bus arrived from Action Ambulance to keep residents warm during the evacuation while some waited nearby in their cars.

With the gas shut off, workers went room by room testing levels. Eventually, it was discovered that the knob of a stove had been turned off, but not all the way. As a result, the flame on the stove turned off but the gas continued to pour out overnight.

According to McClellan, the Fire Department was on scene for almost two hours while the gas company and maintenance employees stayed an addition hour or two.

“It was a windy day, so the gas kind of took care of itself once we opened the windows and doors,” said McClellan. “Then the gas company went unit by unit checking to make sure it wasn’t a dual problem, because you just never know. It was a fairly long process.”

No one was transported for medical treatment following the leak.