Up to 500 people were evacuated from Gosford’s Imperial Centre into Kibble Park on Tuesday, May 30, after a small fire was reported in a stairwell just before 10.30am.
Among evacuees were students from the ET Australia Secondary College located in the centre.
Emergency services, including Fire and Rescue NSW were quickly on the scene, with no injuries reported.
Crews quickly made the scene safe and handed over to police for investigation, with people allowed back into the centre just after 11am.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire, which is being treated as suspicious.
CCN