The Providence Place shopping center was evacuated during Black Friday shopping

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) – Shoppers at the Providence Place shopping center were forced to evacuate after a fire alarm went off on Friday evening.

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said no fire was discovered and it appeared to have been caused by a burst pipe.

A short time later, customers were allowed to enter the shopping center again.

Black Friday shopping at Providence Place Mall drew large crowds even though the mall was under receivership, and thousands of shoppers flocked to take advantage of the holiday deals.

“It was really crowded and a lot of things were sold out,” said one shopper. “It was good.”

However, not everyone was happy with the offers. “They’re looking for suitcases, bags, clothes, shoes, whatever – they have a pretty good selection here but aren’t too happy with the prices at the moment,” one shopper said.

Outside the mall, a march in solidarity with the Palestinian people starting from Kennedy Plaza added to the day’s events.

Security personnel and police were present to monitor both the march and Black Friday shopping.

For many, parking was a major challenge.

A mother who took her children to see the musical “Wicked” described the situation as “crazy.”

“We’ve been stuck in traffic for a long time,” she said. “These two were not happy. So we parked about 20 minutes away and walked.”

Traffic around the mall remains heavy and those who don’t absolutely need to visit the area are advised to avoid it.