Lee’s Summit, Mo. ? For more than eight hours Tuesday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had to be evacuated after a gas leak was found in the basement.

The sheriff’s department said firefighters came to the Lee’s Summit building around noon after receiving a report about a small fire. After discovering the leak, they evacuated the building, which included emergency 911 dispatch center.

The sheriff’s department said the leak was believed to have been caused last week, when work was done on the heating and cooling systems.

Emergency 911 calls were routed to the Lee’s Summit Police Department, which notified Jackson County dispatchers of emergency calls.

Workers stopped the leak after turning off gas to the building, and the fire department allowed sheriff’s department employees to return to the building around 8:30 p.m.

Department officials said repairing the leak would require digging up the gas line. Employees will use portable heaters in the meantime.