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Washington Gas employees have fixed the source of a Sunday gas leak at Forestville's Penn Mar Shopping Center that was minutes from causing an explosion.

In May, a gas leak at the other end of the Donnell Drive strip mall led to an explosion that injured eight firefighters and one Washington Gas employee and destroyed five businesses.

The leak, located in underground piping behind the mall, has been repaired, Ruben Rodriguez, a spokesman for Washington Gas, said Tuesday. He added the investigation is ongoing.

There were 125 shoppers evacuated Sunday from 13 stores in the northern end of the strip mall.

All of the stores in that end of the shopping center were reopened by Monday afternoon, including Marshalls, where the strong odor was originally reported by a customer Sunday around 1 p.m.

A manager at Marshall's declined comment Monday.

Nearly 30 Prince George's County firefighters responded to the scene Sunday and worked with Washington Gas for more than four hours to mitigate the incident. Employees worked nonstop through Monday to pinpoint the source.

Only a short window of time may have separated Sunday's gas leak from the gas-induced explosion May 7.

"It's hard to calculate that, but it's a matter of minutes before another explosion could have occurred," said Mark Brady, chief spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department, on Monday.

Readings taken Sunday by the gas company estimated the concentration of natural gas in the air to be 3.5 percent, Brady said, adding that an explosion can occur when there is a 4 percent concentration of gas in the air.

"I'm confident that speaking with some of the firefighters yesterday that the explosion back in May is going to remain on our minds for a very long time," Brady said.

Nearly six months after the explosion in the southern end of the strip mall, Ledo's Pizza, Subway, Nails Pro, Perfect Scents and the Forestville Pregnancy Center remain under reconstruction. The interiors of the stores remain hollowed out, and chain-link fences and caution tape block the area from foot traffic.

The end of the mall affected by the May explosion is expected to reopen in the spring, said Sheryl Simeck, a spokeswoman for the Virginia-based Rappaport Companies, which manages the strip mall.

Rappaport Companies is currently working to relocate three of the affected businesses into vacant slots within the mall, she said, adding that she could not comment further as contracts have not been signed.

Simeck said she is not sure if the relocation will be permanent, or if the businesses will move back to their original location upon the completion of construction.

However, Simeck did say an announcement regarding the relocation should be made in a few weeks.

E-mail Megan McKeever at mmckeever@gazette.net.