Department Store, Retail Macy’s flagship Manhattan store saved with help from sprinkler system (New York City, NY) October 28, 2013 viking210 The fire broke out at the iconic Macy’s store a little after eight and the store was filled with shoppers. Everyone got out without injury and folks were let back in to collect their personal belongings once the fire was extinguished. The blaze was in the basement and the store’s sprinkler system kept the blaze from spreading onto the upper floors of the store. It was the store’s sprinklers that actually saved the store because it stopped the fire from spreading.