Category Archives: Department Store

Department Store, Retail

Bennington, VT – Fire at J.C. Penny maintained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

 A suspected electrical fire at J.C. Penney on Saturday morning resulted in heavy smoke and water damage but no injuries, officials say.

Bennington Rural Fire Chief Joey Hayes confirmed his department received the call for the fire, which started at about 8:15 a.m. Saturday.

“It was a clothing rack that caught fire,” he said. Crews contained the fire within 10 minutes, and remained on scene for about another four hours. About 50 people responded.

Officials are “leaning towards” the fire being electrical, Hayes said.

Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette confirmed there were no injuries in the fire.

Besides Bennington Rural, Hayes requested crews respond from the Bennington Fire Department and North Bennington Fire Department.

“This being the holiday weekend [and] not knowing who’s around,” he said.

When crews arrived, the fire was visible from the front of the store, he said.

“By the time we got into where the fire was, the sprinkler system went off,” Hayes said. Crews used only about 100 gallons of water to put out the fire.

“The sprinkler did its job maintaining it,” he said. “We had to use very minimum water.”

The building sustained heavy smoke and water damage, but “very light” fire damage, he said.

“The smoke was throughout the whole building,” he said. “They had water damage. The sprinkler system went off. They had to get all the water cleaned up and everything.”

Hayes said the store was closed Saturday and Sunday. The store manager said on Facebook Sunday that the store remained closed while cleanup was being completed.

The fire is no longer being investigated by the fire department, Hayes said. It is not considered suspicious.

Department Store, Retail, Shopping Mall

Raleigh, NC – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at department store; No injuries reported

A fire inside a department store in Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh triggered the sprinkler system Friday afternoon, officials said.

The incident happened just before 5:40 p.m. inside Macy’s, according to Crabtree Valley Mall spokesman Brian Asbill.

Asbill said “a small fire” broke out and caused the sprinkler system to deploy.

Raleigh fire officials said the blaze broke out in the upstairs men’s fitting room.

The sprinklers then extinguished the fire, Asbill said.

Raleigh fire officials said 25% of the building was damaged and that the cause was “incendiary,” although they did not explain further the fire’s cause.

Officials said 35 firefighters responded to the incident.

No one was injured.

Friday evening, crews were cleaning up merchandise damaged by water, Asbill said.

Department Store, Retail

Bellevue, WI – Fire outside Home Depot activated sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Bellevue Fire and Rescue says a burning cigarette butt receptacle and a trash receptacle lead to a small fire outside the Home Depot at 2595 Eaton Road on Wednesday just before midnight. 

Crews say the fire set off the sprinkler system outside the building. The store was not open at the time, but a cleaning crew was inside. Nobody was injured. 

Firefighters quickly put out the fire and shut off the sprinkler system. 

Besides a broken window, the building was not damaged. The heat however did damage some outdoor furniture outside the store. 

Crews say the fire started in the cigarette butt receptacle outside of the entrance door. 

Department Store, Retail

Paso Robles, CA – Sprinkler system held fire in check at Lowe’s Home Improvement until fire crews arrived

A fire started inside the Lowe’s Home Improvement in Paso Robles on Saturday night.

According to Paso Fire Battalion Chief  Scott Hallett, a fire started in the rear of the building, in the receiving and storage area of the store around 8:30 p.m.

Multiple resources responded alongside Paso Robles Fire including CAL FIRE and Atascadero Fire Department.

The fire was “held in check” by the sprinkler prior to the arrival of firefighters, Hallet said.

Crews worked about three hours, working on smoke evacuation and water removal. Hallet reported the fire caused minor damage to merchandise and damage to storage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Taking the damage into account, Lowe’s Home Improvement is likely to reopen on Sunday, Hallett said.

Department Store, Retail

Hazleton, PA – Department store fire kept in check by sprinkler system until fire crews arrived

Firefighters brazed sub-zero temperatures extinguishing a fire in a storage room inside Boscov’s Department Store in the Laurel Mall near Hazleton on Thursday morning.

Crews responded to the store at the Laurel Mall in Hazle Township at 4:23 a.m., circled the building and saw smoke coming from one corner on the Regal Cinema side of the building, township fire Chief Scott Kostician said. Firefighters tried accessing the Knox Box to gain entry into the building, but the box was frozen due to the extreme cold, he said.

Firefighters then forced the doors to get inside and found a fire in a storage room, Kostician said. The sprinkler system kept the fire under control until crews could bring in a hose to extinguish it, he said.

The storage room sustained significant fire damage and that corner of the building on both upper and lower levels sustained water damage. Firefighters used more than 20 fans to remove smoke from both levels of the building, Kostician said.

The store called in a cleanup crew to deal with the damage, he said.

Kostician didn’t think the store could open right now, as the sprinkler system was shut down and the electrical system needs to evaluated, he said. When called, an operator said the store would be opening at noon. A manager was not available for comment.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and a state police fire marshal was called, Kostician said.

Firefighters dealt with extreme cold during the response. Temperatures were at minus-10 and firefighters sheltered inside the store once the smoke cleared, Kostician said. The mall was also available as a shelter from the cold, he said.

Firefighters used a 5-inch hose to supply water from the hydrant. Hazle Township lost three sections of hose due to the extreme cold and needed heavy equipment to pry up the hose, which froze to the ground and cracked in half when firefighters tried to roll it up, Kostician said.

“It was brutal. I’ve never experienced this,” he said.

Assisting Hazle Township were firefighters from Freeland, Valley Regional, Sugarloaf, Hazleton, McAdoo and Dorrance Township, White Haven and Weatherly were also called into Freeland on standby for extra manpower if a response was necessary in the extreme cold, borough Fire Chief Joe Stepansky said.

Department Store, Retail

Lumberton, NC – Suspicious fire at department store contained by sprinkler system; Fire crews finish extinguishing blaze

Police in Lumberton are investigating a fire at a department store they say has been deemed suspicious. The fire broke out at the Rose’s department store on East 24th Street around 9:55 a.m. Monday. Lumberton police and Lumberton fire were called the scene. The sprinkler system activated one head, and the fire department was able to extinguish the remaining fire.

Lumberton police Capt. Terry Parker says the fire is being investigated as suspicious. No injuries were reported. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Charles Keenum at 910-671-3845.

Department Store, Retail

Duluth, MN – Sprinkler system triggered by fire at Dollar Tree Store; No injuries reported

Duluth firefighters were called to the Dollar Tree Store at 215 North Central Avenue on Sunday afternoon.

When they arrived, smoke was seen coming from the roof of the building and the store was being evacuated.

Fire was found in the storeroom area of the store and was extinguished, there were no injuries.

The fire triggered the sprinkler system in the store.

Smoke and standing water was removed from the store but it will be closed until further notice.

Damage estimates were set at 15 thousand dollars for the structure and 80 thousand for the contents.

The business next door, Greystar Electronics had a small amount of water damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Department Store, Retail

Ocala, FL – Arson fire at Macy’s store extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Police in Ocala, FL, are looking for the woman who lit a rack of underwear on fire inside a Macy’s store Tuesday morning. The suspect walked into the store’s Paddock Mall location at 10:11 a.m. and wandered around for 45 minutes. Firefighters arrived shortly after she left and saw light smoke coming from the mall’s north entrance, according to the Ocala StarBanner.

“It was a bunch of smoke rolling out and people were walking – running outside,” witness Kortnee Eubanks told WFTV. The sprinkler system had already extinguished the flames, but needed to be reset and fans were brought in to help ventilate the store.  Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Officer Meghan Shay told local media the store’s staff thought they were smelling gas.  The mall released a statement on its website Tuesday that announced the store would remain closed the remainder of that day.

“The safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees is our top priority. We are working closely with the Ocala Police Department as they investigate this incident further,” the statement said. The woman left the store, but surveillance cameras captured her vehicle, which appears to be a dark gray sedan.

Anyone who recognizes this person or vehicle should call Ocala police at 352-369-7000. Once arrested, she will face an arson charge.

Department Store, Retail

Chillicothe, OH – Suspicious fire at Hobby Lobby store knocked down by sprinkler system

A fire suppression system at Hobby Lobby is being lauded for dousing a fire quickly on Thursday night.  The fire was reported not long after 7 p.m. and when Chillicothe firefighters arrived, everyone had gotten out safely and the fire was mostly out, said Capt. Noel Akers.  “The sprinkler system did its job and knocked down the majority of it,” he said.

The fire was in the clothing section of the store in the back left where damage mostly was limited to some clothing and housing items, Akers said. A witness said flames were 7- to 8-feet tall, and estimated there were a dozen or two customers in the store when the fire broke out.  Fire investigators are reviewing the scene and cameras from the store. While an official cause isn’t expected to be released until Friday, Akers referred to the fire as suspicious.

“There’s some suspicious things, so we’ll let the investigators make a determination on that,” he said.  Asst. Chief Steve Gallagher said while fire inspections may sometimes be a bother for businesses, the fire at Hobby Lobby is a prime example of the value of ensuring the fire suppression system is in good shape.  “There’s some water damage but it’s not nearly what could’ve happened if (the fire) had a head start on us … It’s the different between a store closing and re-opening,” Gallagher said.

Department Store, Retail

Orland Park, IL – Fire at Old Navy store contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews fought back a blaze at the Old Navy store inside the Orland Park Place shopping center late Sunday afternoon. The fire caused significant fire and smoke damage to the store. There were no injuries reported.

The Orland Fire Protection District answered a call around 5:30 p.m. reporting a store on fire at 105 Orland Park Place Drive, south of the Orland Park Mall, between 151st Street and 153rd Street, officials said. More than 30 people, including employees and customers, were inside the Old Navy store when the blaze broke out.

Given the building’s size and the extensive threat posed by the fire, several neighboring fire departments from Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Mokena, Crestwood and Palos Heights. OFPD dispatched all of its fire equipment, including two fire trucks, four fire engines and four ambulances.

Chief Michael Schofield of the Orland Fire Protection District credited Old Navy employees getting everyone out safely and the store’s sprinkler system stopping the fire from spreading and turning into a massive conflagration.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The store sustained fire, smoke and water damage, fire officials said