Updated as of January 25, 2022 at 11:05 a.m. to include additional information regarding road re-opening.
North Williamson Avenue closed due to an odor investigation at All That Jas — an apparel store in downtown Elon — according to town of Elon Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker.
According to an E-alert from Elon University, there was no fire detected at All That Jas. The roadway, which was blocked on North Williamson Avenue and on parts of Lebanon Avenue and East Haggard Avenue, re-opened as of 11:05 a.m.
Walker said odor investigations are more common during the winter season, when buildings are using heating systems more often and temperatures outdoors are lower.
The roadway was blocked due to the fact that the fire department needs to have access to each store, as all of the buildings surrounding All That Jas are connected.
When investigating an odor, Walker said the fire department uses a few different tools to determine where the odor is coming from and why.
“We’ve got our thermal imaging cameras we're using to see if there's any excess heat spots or anything like that,” Walker said. “We're checking for light outlets. We're checking HVAC, electrical outlets, all that.”
Walker said that if a community member notices an odor, to call the fire department immediately.