Orange & Rockland Utilities suspects that the strong odor permeating the downtown area this morning came from spilled diesel fuel, not natural gas, a company spokesman said. Eight O&R technicians didn't get any hits on their gas leak detectors as they roamed around the downtown area, spokesman Guy Pfeifer said.

The smell has been detected from the Sheriff's Department on New Hempstead Road to the New City Library, about a mile away on North Main Street, authorities said. The Provident Bank on North Main Street evacuated, but there were no reports of injuries, authorities said.

The source of the annoying odor remains unknown as of 10 a.m. O&R started getting calls at 9 a.m., with 10 people calling, Pfeifer said. O&R sent eight technicians to the area to join Clarkstown police and volunteer New City firefighters.

"We're not getting any natural gas reading," Pfeifer said, referring to crews on the streets.

"One of the supervisors smelled diesel fuel," he said. "So, we're thinking a truck may have leaked some diesel fuel. Their noses are pretty trained. Our calls may be dissippated."

As O&R crews were on the scene looking for the source of gas leak, Sheriff's Detective Lt. William Barbera said he smelled the odor from his office..

"The cause has not been determined," Barbera said. "I can smell it back here. It's far stronger at our front desk."