Category Archives: Other – Retail

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at thrift store

A fire damaged a central Fresno thrift store Monday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews responded to the Amvets thrift store around 7:30 a.m. near Cedar and Shields avenues.

Investigators say when fire crews arrived they found a fire inside the garage area. The fire sprinkler system helped to put out the fire.

It’s unknown when the store will open but management say the fire caused minimal damage to the store itself. Officials add that the store should be able to reopen when repairs are complete.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Rock Springs, WY – Sprinkler system activated for fire at auto repair shop

The Rock Springs Fire Department (RSFD) was dispatched to a report of a structure fire at The Tire Den, located at 202 Industrial Drive, at 12:59 a.m. on August 30.

RSFD responded with three apparatus and nine personnel. The first-arriving unit from the RSFD was on scene within one minute of being dispatched. Upon arrival, Command was established and a 360-degree size-up conducted. Crews noted heavy smoke and flames coming from the C/D (North-East) area of the building in the compressor room.

The attack team knocked the fire down and the fire was declared controlled at 1:17 a.m. Fire crews remained on scene to conduct salvage and overhaul operations to protect the property from further damage and ensure that the fire was completely extinguished. The local fire suppression system, with the deployment of a single sprinkler head, limited fire extension into adjacent areas of the facility, which prevented what would otherwise have been a significant conflagration involving multiple structures.

A callback was initiated to backfill reserve fire apparatus to handle any additional calls for service that might come in during the fire. Five personnel responded to address those needs and begin preparing replacement fire hose to rehab the trucks used at the scene. The equipment and hose used during the suppression operations was cleaned and the truck was placed back in service by 5 a.m.

The Patrol Officers with the Rock Springs Police Department noted heavy smoke at the building during routine patrol and helped fire crews gain access to the property.

The fire is under investigation and the cause has not yet been determined.

Bayonne, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at discount store

Bayonne firefighters only needed 20 minutes to extinguish a blaze at a discount store in the area of Broadway and 22nd Street on Monday.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Bill Bartos, firefighters responded to Deals & Discounts just after 9:50 a.m. Upon their arrival they found heavy smoke coming from the front of the store.

Handlines were used in conjunction with the building’s sprinkler system to bring the fire under control by 10:10 a.m.

Oregon City, OR – Sprinkler system controls early morning arson fire at store

Bales of hay at a Wilco Store in Oregon City were set on fire early Thursday morning. Clackamas Fire District says a fire alarm brought crews to the store on Molalla Avenue. The sprinkler system helped control the fire, and firefighters put it out before it caused any more damage. Surveillance video shows a suspect wearing a baseball cap, mask, a T-shirt, and short pants lighting the fire. Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect to contact Oregon City Police.

Yarmouth, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at marketplace; No injuries reported

A fire at a Route 1 mall in Yarmouth on Monday night was contained before it could spread to a dozen or so adjoining businesses.

Yarmouth Fire Chief Mike Robitaille credited the sprinkler system at the Sherwin Williams paint store, 438 Route 1, for preventing a much larger fire that he said could have caused significant damage to other businesses at Yarmouth Marketplace.

Robitaille said the fire started just after 6 p.m. in a ceiling dormer above Sherwin Williams. It did not reach any of the paint products stored at the business, but the store sustained significant water damage.

“The fire was quickly contained, but in all honesty, it was the sprinkler system that did the job,” Robitaille said. “If the fire had spread, it could have been a significant dollar loss.”

Some of the adjoining addresses in the mall, which include Romeo’s Pizza, Enterprise Rent a Car, an AT&T store, P&P Screen Printing and Royal River Baptist Church, sustained smoke damage.

Mutual aid was provided by Cumberland, Freeport and Falmouth. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for trash compactor fire outside of retailer; No injuries reported

An employee at an east side retailer noticed smoke coming from a trash compactor chute Monday morning, approximately a half-hour after tossing a few bags of trash into the chute. Upon opening the door to the compactor, the employee discovered flames inside. He discharged multiple fire extinguishers in an attempt to put out the fire, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

Firefighters received the 911 dispatch at 9:29 a.m. and responded to the 2452 East Springs Drive. All occupants safely evacuated the building prior to firefighters’ arrival.

Engine Co. 8 located a large compactor near the loading docks outside the building. A sprinkler inside the compactor chute had already activated, but there was still active fire inside the compactor container. Engine 8 connected to a hydrant, and Medic 8 brought an attack line to the compactor. Firefighters sprayed water into the compactor, and a tow truck was requested to help pull it away from the building. Once the compactor was pulled away, firefighters shut down the internal fire sprinklers system. Engine Co. 5 assisted with overhauling the contents inside the compactor and extinguishing any remaining fire. No injuries were reported.

The exact cause of the fire could not be determined. Investigators and store employees could not rule out the possibility that a lithium ion battery may have been discarded and placed inside the compactor.

Asheville, NC – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at shopping center outlet; No injuries reported

Asheville Fire Department had several crews at Asheville Outlets on Wednesday night, Jan. 11, 2023.

About six fire engines could be seen in the shopping center parking lot, where an alarm could be heard and firefighters could be seen heading to the roof.

Asheville Fire Department said the fire happened in a storage room near Restoration Hardware just before 11 p.m.

Officials tell News 13 that the sprinkler system put out the fire and no other businesses were damaged other than possible smoke damage.

No one was injured in the fire.

Santa Rosa, CA – Sprinkler system helps extinguish fire at pharmacy; No injuries reported

A fire ignited in a debris pile outside of a Rite Aid pharmacy in Santa Rosa early Wednesday morning, spreading into the building and causing an estimated $200,000 in damage.

Santa Rosa fire officials said the blaze was reported at 12:04 a.m. at the store located at 955 Stony Point Road.

When crews arrived, they found a pile of wood pallets and other debris burning against the back corner of the store. Heat from the blaze had shattered the exterior glass windows and doors, allowing flames to spread into the building’s rear storage area.

The flames also spread to the gas meter, igniting an intense natural gas fire that firefighters were eventually able to extinguish with the help of the building’s fire sprinkler system.

The store was closed at the time of the fire and no one was inside the building. Much of the retail area of the store had smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Methuen, MA – Sprinkler system activated for late night fire at retail store; No injuries reported

A late-night fire Sunday ignited in a store at The Loop, fire officials said. 

An electrical fire occurred near a register at Olympia in the retail center located at 90 Pleasant Valley St. 

The fire triggered the store’s sprinkler system, which worked exactly as it’s supposed to, officials said.

“The sprinklers knocked down the majority of it,” said Fire Chief Timothy Sheehy of the blaze. 

No injuries were reported. 

There was smoke and water damage to Olympia, another store nearby, The Loft, as well as a vacant storefront which was last used as an area to administer COVID-19 vaccine. 

Firefighters responded at 10:55 p.m. and there for about two hours. 

Lawrence and Salem, N.H., firefighters responded to Methuen as mutual aid coverage.