PRESQUE ISLE – A white substance found Tuesday night on four cars parked at the Aroostook Centre Mall prompted concern for a while that the material might have been hazardous.

The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. in the rear parking lot at the mall, Presque Isle Police Chief Naldo Gagnon said Wednesday.

An employee at one of the mall shops first discovered the white substance, which Gagnon described as resembling artificial snow that can be sprayed from a can, or possibly shaving cream.

Without knowing for sure what it was, “we treated it as if it was a hazardous substance,” Gagnon said, adding that police coordinated their response with the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency.

The vehicles were cordoned off, a sample was collected and then taken by Sgt. Eric Erickson to the Maine State Police laboratory in Augusta.

Gagnon received a call from the lab at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday informing him that the substance was not hazardous. The material was not identified, he said.

One of the people whose car was sprayed initially drove it to the police station to report the incident as vandalism, the police chief said. The woman was advised to shower and wash her clothing after she was taken home by another person.

Gagnon said anyone who comes in contact with what they believe to be a suspicious substance should leave it alone and call the proper authorities.

“Leave it where it is,” he said. “We’ll go to the scene, rather than them contaminating the Police Department as well.”