Firefighters Find No Hazmat Leak At Chicago Ridge Mall Food Court

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL -- A hazmat scare closed the food court at Chicago Ridge Mall on Monday morning, temporarily suspending the sale of pizza slices and orange chicken. The Chicago Ridge Fire Department responded to a call around 9:10 a.m. of a possible refrigerant leak by a food court tenant, according to mall officials. There were no evacuations and other stores in the mall remained open as the incident was investigated.

Despite unconfirmed reports by police and fire scanner social media sites, first responders determined there was no leak nor any hazardous material issue going on in the food court after a thorough investigation by Chicago Ridge firefighters.

“As always, the safety of our guests, tenants and employees is our highest priority, and we thank our property team and Chicago Ridge's first responders for their quick, professional response,” said Sandy Martinez, spokeswoman for Starwood Retail Partners. "The Chicago Ridge Mall remains open for business."

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