UPDATE 9/15/12@10:05 p.m.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Charleston Town Center Mall officials now know the cause of a smoke scare that held up business for two restaurants Friday evening.

They say a cigarette butt is to blame for smoke found in a shared wall between the Chili's and Outback Steakhouse restaurants. They say someone threw a burning butt on the sidewalk near the restaurants, and it ignited some nearby leaves.

The resulting smoke was sucked in by air conditioning intake at Outback Steakhouse and spread.

"It's pretty sad that no one cared enough to be careful," Glenn Smith said as he shopped at the mall. "Show some respect and extinguish your cigarettes properly when you're done smoking them."

Chili's customer Dan Reveal says many smokers don't pay enough attention to the way they dispose of their cigarettes.

"They're just absent-minded, and they throw away their cigarettes without realizing where it's going to hit," he said.

Mall officials say they're now considering making sidewalks around the mall smoke-free. Nothing has been decided yet, but they say Friday's incident has brought the possibility to their attention.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Smoke found between a shared wall of Outback Steakhouse and Chili's at Charleston Town Center led to both restaurants being closed early Friday evening, Charleston firefighters tell WSAZ.com.

The smoke was reported about 6:30 p.m. Friday inside the shared wall.

Charleston Police and firefighters investigated. They say the smoke traveled to the ceiling between the two restaurants.

No one was injured, and the restaurants were not evacuated. Guests were asked, however, to finish their meals and leave.