Firefighters investigating a gas leak at Northway Mall in Anchorage on Wednesday morning discovered a small section of the roof was beginning to collapse, officials said.
Planet Fitness and Shockwave Trampoline Park, the only two businesses that remain open in the former shopping center, were evacuated when firefighters responded around 10:30 a.m., Assistant Fire Chief Alex Boyd said.
Anchorage Fire Department crews began inspecting hidden spaces where gas lines run when they discovered damaged wooden trusses, he said. A small section of the roof was sagging several feet but had not fallen to the ground, said Ross Noffsinger, acting building official for the municipality.