SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – A South Florida shopping center reopened Friday evening in the community of Country Walk after a potentially dangerous gas leak behind a Publix supermarket forced it’s closure.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, an underground liquid propane tank sprung a leak behind the Publix located in the Country Walk Plaza at SW 137th Avenue and 152nd Street Friday morning.

The propane tank is used to power the emergency generator for the Publix supermarket.

The entire strip mall and some of the adjacent homes were evacuated as a precaution.

“It’s been a very long morning, long morning. I’d rather be in the office but better safe than sorry,” said evacuee Yvonne Acuna who works in the shopping center.

Officials offloaded the leaking propane gas, about 1,000 gallons, into a truck to be hauled away.

Strip mall employees were allowed back inside once all the propane gas was safely removed from the underground tank.