Category Archives: Department Store

Department Store, Retail

Fairfield, CA – Arson fire at JC Penney store controlled thanks to fire sprinkler system

A suspect was detained Monday night in connection with an arson fire that did an estimated $100,000 in damage at the J.C. Penney store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield.

The Fairfield Fire Department responded shortly before midnight and found multiple fires inside the store.

Crews were able to quickly stem the fire with the help of the store’s automatic sprinkler system, officials said, but there was “major smoke, water and heat damage” to the inventory.

Firefighters determined that the cause was arson based on evidence in the store.

Fairfield police worked with store personnel and learned of a possible suspect. Rafael Munguia, 54, of Fairfield was arrested Tuesday and booked into Solano County Jail for arson.

Department Store, Retail

Maysville, KY – Sprinkler system controls fire set to lawn furniture at Lowe’s; No injuries reported

Maysville firefighters were called to their second fire at a lumber retailer in less than week when the alarm sounded for Lowe’s Home Improvement on Thursday.

Maysville Fire Chief Kevin Doyle said MFD was called to the Lowe’s store at about 3:30 p.m., to answer reports of a fire inside the business located on East Maple Leaf Road.

When firefighters arrived they found a rack of lawn furniture cushions in the Lawn and Garden section in flames, he said,

The store’s sprinkler system had already activated to control the fire, Doyle said. Firefighters had the fire out in short order, he said.

“It was out pretty quickly,” he said.

There was no obvious source to have ignited the fire, Doyle said. The merchandise was not newly displayed and had been stocked for some time, he said.

Although there was electrical power source nearby it was not affected or damaged by the fire and remained intact, Doyle said.

No one was injured and the store was shut down for a short time, he said.

Detectives T.C. Rice and Michael Parsons of the Maysville Fire Department are reviewing security video to see who was in the area at the time the fire started, Doyle said.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Doyle at 606-564-2541 or Parsons at 606-564-9411.

Firefighters were called to a fire at Hardymon Lumber in downtown Maysville on Saturday evening. The fire destroyed the business’s office and showroom but did not spread to areas where lumber was stored. The business was up and running by Monday.

The cause of that fire has officially been listed as undetermined.

Department Store, Retail

Paso Robles, CA – Fire sprinklers help minimize fire at Lowe’s; No injuries reported

Paso Robles police are looking for four men believed to be involved in a fire and theft at the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on Sunday evening.

Police say firefighters responded to a fire at the store on Golden Hill Road at about 8:15 p.m.

The building’s fire sprinkler system helped minimize the growth of the fire and it was contained within about five minutes of firefighters’ arrival. No one was injured.

The store opened for business as usual on Monday.

Police believe the fire was set as a distraction. They say a man entered the store shortly after 8 p.m. and hid a rolling pipe threader under a canvas drop cloth. After the fire was set and alarms and sprinklers activated, the man pushed the pipe threader out of the store.

Police believe the man was working with at least three other men. Investigators are asking for he public’s help to identify the people believed to be involved and a truck that may also be associated with the theft.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Paso Robles Police Department at (805) 237-6464.

Department Store, Retail

Shreveport, LA – Sprinkler system puts out fire, saves department store; No injuries reported

Multiple businesses are flooded after an early morning fire on 70th Street, near Canal Boulevard and Mansfield Road.

Officials say the sprinkler system at Affordable Home Furnishings put out the fire but dumped enough water to flood the adjacent Family Dollar and CSL Plasma.

SFD is currently pumping out the water. No injuries were reported.

The fire is under investigation.

Department Store, Retail

Horry County, SC – Fire sprinklers extinguish fire at Marshalls; No injuries reported

Horry County Fire Rescue and the Horry County Police Department are investigating a fire at the Marshalls near the Highway 17 Tanger Outlets.

Crews are at 10816 Kings Rd. for a fire that was initially dispatched at 2:56 p.m.

Rescue officials say the fire was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system before it was able to spread.

There are no reported injuries and this fire is under investigation.

Department Store, Retail

Springfield, IL – Sprinkler system helps knock down fire at department store; No injuries reported

Springfield Fire crews responded to an electrical fire at Gordmans in Southwest Plaza, 3231 S. Veterans Parkway, at 12:15 p.m. Sunday.

There was a light on fire near the dressing rooms in the middle of the department store, which is part of a Midwestern chain. A spokesperson for the SFD said investigators indicated that the fire was accidentally set.

The call came into the SFD from a store employee.

A sprinkler system in the store was activated, helping crews to knock down the fire quickly.

There was residual smoke damage as well as water damage to the store.

City Water, Light & Power was dispatched to the scene, but fire crews were able to isolate an issue with an electrical breaker.

The store was evacuated and didn’t re-open to the public.

No injuries were reported.

Department Store, Retail

Durham, NC – Fire sprinkler helps put out fire at Home Goods store, caused by cash register; No injuries reported

Fire officials say an issue with cash register was the cause of an early morning fire at the Home Goods store located in the 8200 block of Renaissance Parkway.

Firefighters responded to the store to find several alarms activating and heavy smoke coming from the front door.

Authorities say 32 firefighters, with the help a full sprinkler system, quickly extinguished the fire.

The entire store sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

No one was injured and no other stores were affected.

The store will remain closed until the damage is repaired.

Department Store, Retail

Riverside, CA – Fire at Target contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Target store on Arlington Avenue in Riverside was evacuated Sunday afternoon after a small fire broke out and set off sprinklers inside the outlet, firefighters said.

There were no injuries from the incident, reported just before 4 p.m., Riverside City Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said. All employees and customers had left the store, at 3333 Arlington Ave., before firefighters arrived, he said.

The fire was a small one, confined to the ceiling area above the electronics section of the store, a release from the department said later Sunday evening.  Firefighters shut down the sprinklers and helped salvage merchandise and remove water from the store, the release said.

Shortly after 4 p.m. customers and employees were outside the Target, and the only customer cars in the parking lot were occupied by those who had lingered to watch the action, or had just pulled up after the evacuation was ordered.

No smoke was visible from the outside.

Firefighters said they had handed the remainder of the incident over to Target store management. There was no word available Sunday evening when the store might re-open.

Department Store, Retail

Kyle, TX – Minimal damage to Lowe’s garden department after sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading

The Kyle Fire Department said the garden department at Lowe’s has minimal damage after a fire on Thursday.

They tweeted about the fire at 5753 Kyle Parkway around 8:20 p.m. The area is just south of Bebee and Bunton Creek Road.

It said the fire set off the sprinkler system, which kept the fire from spreading. Crews arrived at the scene and put the fire out.