Category Archives: Grocery Store / Super Center

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Peoria, IL – Oven fire at Sam’s Club prompts sprinkler system to activate; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire temporarily closed Sam’s Club on Monday afternoon and caused a damage estimate of $1 million in products on the store’s shelves.

At about 3:30 p.m., Peoria firefighters responded to a fire in the deli area at 4100 W. Willow Knolls Road.

Once inside, they found a small fire in a rotisserie oven, which was put out with a water extinguisher, Acting Battalion Chief Robert Lundholm said in a news release.

One sprinkler head was activated and kept the fire in check before they arrived, he said.

Firefighters remained on scene after the fire was out to shut down the sprinklers and ventilate the building.

No injuries were reported. All employees and customers were evacuated and accounted for, and the store was closed.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Yuma, AZ – Fire in trash compactor room at Target store suppressed by sprinkler system

The Yuma Fire Department said a local store had to be evacuated Monday morning due to a fire.  YFD the fire was reported at about 9:40 a.m. at the rear of the Target store, located at 1450 South Yuma Palms Parkway. Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found there had been a fire in the store’s commercial trash compactor.  That fire activated a fire suppression sprinkler head in the compactor room, containing and extinguishing the fire. Firefighters were able to shut down the water flow and ensure the fire was out.

The store was evacuated due to the initial alarm on site. There was no damage to the store itself and the store was able to soon resume normal operations. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.  YFD said fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex.  Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Coronado, CA – Supermarket fire contained with help from sprinkler system

A smoky basement fire prompted the evacuation of a supermarket near Naval Air Station North Island Wednesday. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion, likely from an overloaded transformer, in an alley behind the Vons store in the 800 block of Orange Avenue in Coronado about 8:15 a.m., city spokeswoman Janine Zuniga said.

The building then began to fill with smoke, and its fire-sprinkler system activated. Emergency crews and store employees cleared everyone out of the building while firefighters extinguished the blaze, which caused no injuries.  San Diego Gas & Electric personnel turned off the power supply to the building and were investigating the mishap. “Right now, we aren’t sure if the transformer or (a) refrigeration unit caused the fire,” Coronado Fire Chief Jim Lydon said in the late morning.

The store was expected to remain indefinitely closed due to heavy smoke and water damage, and lack of electrical service. County health officials will assess the site before it is allowed to reopen to the public, Lydon said.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Longmont, CO – Sprinkler system extinguishes majority of early morning fire at Target

Longmont police and fire investigators will be on scene at Target today to determine the cause of an early morning fire.

Longmont Fire Department spokeswoman Molly Cropp said the store will be closed for at least a few days as officials work to find the cause and origin.

A structure fire was reported at the store at 551 S. Hover St. at 4 a.m. today.

Firefighters found the store filled with smoke, but Cropp said the store’s sprinkler system put out the majority of the fire before they arrived on scene.

No employees or firefighters were injured during the incident.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Morganfield, KY – Sprinkler system helps extinguish overnight fire at Walmart

The Walmart in Morganfield will be closed for at least Monday due a overnight fire at the business.

At 2:14 a.m., Union County Dispatch sent Morganfield Fire Department, Union County Fire Department, Waverly Fire Department and Sturgis Fire Department to a fire at Walmart in Morganfield.

According to the Morganfield Fire Chief, Rick Millikan, upon arrival the store had been evacuated and units encountered heavy smoke in the store. The sprinkler system was activated.

Firefighters from MFD located and attacked the fire in the fabric section of the store . Other units arrived on scene, including Union County Fire and Sturgis Fire Department. They entered the loading dock area of the store, and interior crews extinguished the fire. 

The store did suffer smoke and water damage. Millikan said the cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

Walmart Morganfield Facebook page states the following: 

“We apologize to our customers but our Morganfield Walmart location will be unable to open today due to fire damage. We have a team en route to get us cleaned up.”

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Kapahulu, HI – Sprinkler system limits spread of early morning fire at Safeway grocery store

Safeway on Kapahulu is closed for business until further notice. Neighboring businesses are open and say that they were not affected by the fire.  Honolulu Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire inside the Safeway on Kapahulu Avenue Sunday.  HFD says the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. Fire crews got to the scene within minutes and worked to contain the blaze.  It was reported that 11 employees and three customers evacuated the building prior to the arrival of the HFD. A working automatic fire sprinkler system reduced the intensity and spread of this fire. The fire is under investigation and the cause has yet to be determined. Fire damages are not available at this time. No injuries were reported for this incident.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Columbia, MO – Activated sprinkler helps keep loading dock fire at Aldi store from spreading inside building

A semi trailer next to the Aldi grocery store on Green Meadows Road caught fire last Sunday, according to the Columbia Fire Department.  The semi trailer was parked at the loading dock at the side of the grocery store when it caught fire. The driver was able to get out safely and is working with investigators to determine the origin of the fire, Assistant Chief Jerry Jenkins said.  The fire department was dispatched to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. No one was injured.

The fire in the truck activated the sprinkler system inside Aldi, Jenkins said. Customers exited the building and were helped out of the area by the Columbia Police Department, which was also helping direct traffic.  The fire was still under investigation as of Sunday evening. Aldi employees at the scene had no comment.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Colonial Heights, VA – Fire in meat department of grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Crews from multiple jurisdictions responded to a fire inside the Food Lion located in the Dunlop Village shopping center in Colonial Heights. At approximately 4:46 p.m., Colonial Heights and Chesterfield Fire arrived on scene and were told that the Food Lion had a fire in the meat department. Companies from Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, Hopewell and Petersburg all responded.

The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction in a mechanical refrigeration unit, according to a Colonial Heights Fire spokesperson. A spokesperson with the Colonial Heights Fire Department said four people were treated for minor smoke inhalation. Later, one of those people wished to be transported for treatment. The fire was reported to be under control by 5:30 p.m.

The grocery store’s fire sprinkler system activated and controlled the fire until fire crews arrived and could extinguish the hot spots. The meat department suffered major fire damage, while the rest of the building suffered smoke damage. The damage to the building is estimated at about $15,000 and the estimated damage to the products are unknown at this time. The business will remain closed until it is cleaned up and safety repairs have been made.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

McKinleyville, CA – Sprinkler system at Safeway store keeps fire from spreading, limits damage

Arcata Fire District firefighters were called to a reported structure fire at the McKinleyville Safeway located at 1503 City Center Road.  Battalion Chief Gomes arrived on scene first and discovered black smoke coming from a vent on the back of the building. Being Sprinkler familiar with the building layout, Gomes knew the fire was in the storeroom and directed the first due engine from the McKinleyville Station to make entry at the rear of the store, and initiate fire attack.  Store employees confirmed the fires location and had initiated a building evacuation.  The crews located the fire in the loft machinery room, above the rear storeroom and the building’s sprinkler system had been triggered.  The fire attack team used the buildings ladder way to gain access to the loft and deploy a hose line to the fire to complete extinguishment.  The second arriving engine from Mad River Station supported the fire attack operation by securing a water supply. The third engine from Arcata Station, and subsequent arriving CalFire and Fieldbrook engines, assisted with water removal to the sales floor and storeroom and applied salvage techniques to save computer equipment and merchandise.   

The fire loss was minimal, with an estimate of $2000 in damages.  Battalion Chief Gomes reports “The fire was held by the sprinkler systems that had activated properly, which assisted the firefighters in quickly extinguishing the burning material.  The combination of the two, saved this multi-million dollar building and its contents. Safeway was open for business the next day.”

The cause of fire was determined to be ordinary combustibles stored too close to hot mechanical equipment.

Additional engines from Humboldt Bay Fire and Blue Lake Fire covered District stations while the incident was occurring.

Arcata Fire District would like to remind all businesses and residents to keep adequate clearance around mechanical and electrical service equipment and ensure that sprinkler systems and extinguishers are checked regularly and functioning properly.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system limits spread of fire at Atwater Market

The Atwater Market has reopened following an early morning fire at one of the food stands attached to the exterior of the building.

The structure is a temporary extension to the market during the winter months, built with removable walls and awning.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 3:30 a.m. on Friday.

Martin Farmer, chief of operations for the Montreal fire department, said flames and smoke could be seen jutting from the side of the building.

No one was injured, but damages are estimated at around $50,000.

Farmer said the building’s sprinkler system did its job, helping limit the spread of fire.