Category Archives: Retail

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Scranton, PA – Supermarket fire contained to storage area by sprinkler system

Fire in the Gerrity’s Supermarket on Meadow Avenue in Scranton Monday night has the store closed today.   A quick response from the Scranton Fire Department, and the automated sprinkler system are credited with keeping the fire contained to a small storage area.   The damage to the building is minor, but the store is shut down as health inspectors look at food stored in the building.  

The store had from $500 thousand to a million dollars worth of merchandise inside when it broke out.  Store officials expect they will have to throw out a lot of fruit, vegetables, baked goods and food from the deli.  They are looking to reopen as soon as possible.  Scranton Fire officials will search for the cause, but the owners tell Eyewitness News cleaning equipment may have sparked this fire. 

Auto Dealership, Retail

Worcester, MA – Sprinklers knock down vehicle fire at auto dealership

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported ***  A vehicle caught fire inside a dealership auto body shop at 29 Glennie Street in Worcester, MA on June 17, 2015. The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire to the vehicle of origin.

Companies arrived to find smoke coming from the eaves of a building. Firefighters forced their way into the building and found a car on fire inside an auto shop garage. The fire was knocked down by the sprinkler system, and Worcester Fire Department ventilated and checked for further extension.

Other - Retail, Retail

Kent, WA – Sprinkler system stops fire at car audio business

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A business’s sprinkler system stopped a fire from spreading and limited damage in the 25900 block of 104 Avenue Southeast, the Kent Fire Department RFA reported.

The car audio business was closed when the initial call came in for a sprinkler water flow alarm at 7:36 p.m. When the first engine from Kent Fire arrived, they found water and smoke coming from the business, which was at the end of a strip mall.

Firefighters entered the building and found a small fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. It was the water coming from the sprinkler heads that set off the alarm. The presence of the sprinkler system kept the fire from causing more damage or spreading to adjacent businesses. A small amount of water was found in the next business, which had seeped from the affected area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries.

Other - Retail, Retail

Spokane, WA – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at tanning salon

A Spokane, Washington woman is okay after her tanning bed caught fire with her inside while at the tanning salon. The woman said she heard a sizzling noise, then saw plastic from the bed bubbling up near her feet and that’s when she quickly got out. An employee called 911.

When firefighters arrived the tanning bed was engulfed in flames. A sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading. The salon owner says the tanning bed was about five years old. The fire chief at the scene says another tanning bed caught fire last year at a different tanning salon in town.

Other - Retail, Retail

West Lebanon, NH – Overnight fire at furniture store extinguished by sprinkler system

The Lebanon Fire Department is investigating a fire that took place in the early morning on Sunday inside a West Lebanon furniture store. Firefighters went to Defelice Furniture at 35 Main St. in West Lebanon at 3:39 a.m. Sunday, when a passerby reported the water motor for the building’s sprinkler system was ringing, Lebanon Fire Chief Chris Christopoulos said in a news release Sunday.

After seeing water flowing from the sprinkler system, firefighters forced entry into the building and found evidence of a fire occurred on a desk on the showroom floor. The fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system before firefighters arrived. Though not considered suspicious, the fire is under investigation.

Department Store, Retail

Sacramento, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire at Macy’s; Store reopens same day

The Macy’s store in Arden Fair mall has reopened following a small single-alarm fire this morning, Sacramento Fire Department officials said. Firefighters responded to the fire, which took place in an attic air-conditioning unit, at 9:40 a.m. said Roberto Padilla, fire department spokesman. The building’s sprinkler system kept the fire contained, although there was some smoke in the basement, elevator shafts and third floor, he said.

The fire is no longer active and all units have cleared the scene, Padilla said. Arden Fair Mall officials said the store reopened for business this afternoon.

Other - Retail, Retail

Meridian, MS – Fire at Salvation Army store extinguished by sprinkler system

The Salvation Army Thrift Store in Meridian suffered an overnight fire. “It seems it has wiped out our entire contents, either with water damage or the smoke damage,” said Salvation Army commander, Maj. Glenn Riggs. “So, we’re in a real difficult situation because we have to close and reset.”

Riggs says the building suffered minor damage and the fire was luckily put out by the sprinkler system. Riggs says it hasn’t been confirmed, but it appears the fire was electrical and started around the cashier’s pod. Cleanup and clearing are the first tasks to be completed. After that, Riggs says The Salvation Army will need the public’s help.

“We can’t open with an empty store,” said Riggs. “We do sell the items and the reason we sell them is, we sell them to those who can afford them, so we are able to give items to those who cannot.” Riggs says he is asking that the community be patient for the moment as the organization works to recover from the tragedy. He said he hopes when the store opens again, the community will be generous with donations.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store will be closed until further notice and no donations can be accepted at this time. However, the donations of sellable items will be welcomed in a few weeks.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Henderson, NV – Sprinklers activate to help control fire at Vons grocery store

** Note – Sprinklers are not activated by smoke – Only the substantial heat from a serious fire **

A Vons grocery store in Henderson caught fire Thursday and had to close for the night, according to a city of Henderson news release. The Henderson Fire Department responded to the store at 2667 E. Windmill Parkway, near Pecos Road, shortly after 8 p.m. The fire was in the roof where construction was recently done, the release said. The sprinkler system was activated by smoke in the rear of the store.

The grocery store was evacuated and closed for repairs. The store reopened Friday morning. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire was deemed accidental, but an estimated cost of damage could not be determined until Vons can inventory the lost food products, the release said.

Dry Cleaner, Retail

Nashua, NH – Fire caused by spontaneous combustion held in check by sprinkler system

An early morning fire inside an Industrial Park Drive building was caused by spontaneous combustion of oily rags, according to fire officials. The single-alarm blaze, reported just after 1 a.m. Thursday, happened inside UniFirst Corp., 8 Industrial Park Drive, which is a uniform, maintenance and cleaning supply company.

Firefighters responding to a master fire box alarm, arrived to hear alarms sounding and to find a smoke-filled building and sprinklers operating. The fire was located in three bins filled with tightly packed oily rags. The blaze was held in check by the sprinklers, although firefighters stretched one hose to completely extinguish the fire.  Pressure fans were brought in to air out the building.

Other - Retail, Retail

Woods Cross, UT – Sprinklers limit damage in overnight fire at retail store

Officials said a fire at a local business could have been much worse if sprinklers weren’t in place. The South Davis Metro Fire Department said a “water flow alarm” alerted them to the flames at about 11 p.m. When crews got to the “Candle Warmers Etc.” building near 19th W. and 24th S., they found the sprinklers were already putting out the fire.

“The sprinklers obviously put the fire out and they do a great job of that and that’s why buildings like these are required to have sprinklers,” Fire Chief Dave Powers said. “So most of the damage now is just the water damage caused by the sprinklers going off and a little bit of the burn from the fire.” Officials said it appears the fire was an accident; investigators are working to determine the cause.