Shannon Litz/Nevada Appeal News Service Denise Erb and Doug Smith test for gas at Rite Aid in Gardnerville and the surrounding businesses.
An odor forced the evacuation of nearly 100 people from the Carson Valley Fair shopping center for three hours Monday afternoon.
The smell came from burned motor oil spilled in the center's parking lot, according to East Fork Fire Capt. Terry Taylor.
Taylor said Blockbuster Video was established as a shelter for workers and customers who couldn't retrieve their vehicles because of snow.
Firefighters from East Fork, Gardnerville and the Gardnerville firefighters, aided by six Southwest Gas Corp. workers, searched for the source of the smell reported by a passing motorist at about 12:38 p.m.
"There was no gas leak," Taylor said. "We found a fresh spill of burned motor oil we believe is the source of the overwhelming odor. We cleaned it up, and so far the smell is gone."
The incident was originally reported as a propane leak, but Taylor said firefighters ruled that out early on when they couldn't find a source.
The odor permeated the area around the center and could be detected across Highway 395.
Taylor said the oil spill appeared to be fresh and might be from a cracked engine block.
John Flaherty of Scolari's said workers had smelled the odor occasionally before they were ordered out of the store.
"Everything has been on hold for two hours," he said.
Flaherty, who has worked at the Scolari's since it opened in 1990, said this is the only evacuation he remembers.
"It's never been like this," he said.
Among the businesses evacuated were Rite-Aid Pharmacy, Port of Subs, Angelo's Bootery, Crystal Kaleidoscope, Vac & Sew, Grand Central Pizza and Radio Shack.
Douglas County Search and Rescue helped block off the parking lot. About 30 employees in all were ordered out of the building.