A gas leak that sparked a fire at a dry cleaner's forced the evacuation of a strip mall Monday morning.
Miami-Dade County firefighters worked to contain the blaze at Mr. Alex Dry Cleaners, 9401 S.W. 56th St., until the gas company arrived to cap the leak.
"When we have an actual fire that's gas fed, firefighters are generally said to create a flag pattern, or a curtain, to be able to limit, but at the same time, you'll be able to see where the gas is coming from, because gas itself is odorless and colorless," said Miami-Dade fire-rescue Capt. Al Cruz. "So if we were to put it out, we don't know where the pockets of gas would be, and that could be a possible explosive scenario."
Florida Power & Light crews arrived and cut power to the entire strip mall until the leak was contained, but the gas company initially had trouble locating the shutoff valve.
The gas company brought in special digging equipment to find the valve, which was buried in the corner of the parking lot feet away from the gas supply substation.
Firefighters said a gas main rupture in the boiler room was the cause of the fire.
Westbound lanes of 56th Street were closed from 93rd to 95th avenues for the dozens of fire trucks and utility crews needed to combat the fire and contain the leak.
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