Category Archives: Department Store

Department Store, Retail

Germantown, MD – Fire at Bed, Bath and Beyond store controlled by sprinkler system

Montgomery County firefighters say an electrical short in a light fixture sparked a fire on Tuesday morning at the Bed, Bath and Beyond store on Middlebrook Road in Germantown.

Fire and Rescue Spokesperson Pete Piringer said workers discovered the blaze and called 9-1-1. He said the fire was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system.

According to Piringer, the store’s employees evacuated the building and there were no injuries

Department Store, Retail

San Leandro, CA – Walmart fire contained with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

A two-alarm fire required the evacuation of the Walmart store on Davis Street on Saturday night, fire officials said.  Alameda County Fire Department spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said the store’s sprinkler system activated, and the entire store was evacuated. 

The fire broke out about 7:30 p.m. in the kitchen of the McDonald’s restaurant inside the store at 1919 Davis St.   Firefighters had knocked down the blaze by 8 p.m., but the store remained empty half an hour later.  Nobody was hurt.

Department Store, Retail

Houston, TX – Arson fire at HEB store controlled with help from sprinkler system

An HEB in southwest Houston will be closed indefinitely after a fire was started inside the grocery store Wednesday evening.  The fire erupted around 7:30pm at the store in off Beechnut and the Beltway.

According to fire officials at the scene, someone set fire to toilet paper in the back of the store. Fire officials on the scene say when the fire started, employees tried to put it out with extinguishers. Firefighters then arrived to help.  The store’s sprinkler system activated to help control the fire.  

An HEB spokesperson said everyone was evacuated and no injuries were reported.  Officials said the store will be shut down until health inspectors can examine what kind of damage was made to the products inside. The HEB spokesperson didn’t know how long that process will take.  HEB says it is working with HFD on the investigation, which they’re classifying as arson.

Department Store, Retail

Tucson, AZ – Fire at Big Lots store kept in check by sprinkler system

The Tucson Fire Department credits a store’s sprinkler system with keeping a fire in check until crews arrived to put it out.  The department says firefighters responding to a water flow alarm at a BigLots store on South Harrison Road early Thursday morning found smoke coming from the rear of the building.

Firefighters found heavy smoke inside the store and a fire in the rear of the building, which was full of merchandise.  Cause of the fire is under investigation and there’s no estimate on cost of fire damage.

Department Store, Retail

Glen Burnie, MD – Fire at Toys ‘R’ Us impeded by sprinkler system

Department Store, Retail

Sprinkler system limits spread of fire at drug store (Bellingham, WA)

A fire burned 24 feet of display shelving in the Sehome Village Rite Aid on 36th Street, and damages could exceed $200,000, firefighters said.

The fire started shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, and the store’s alarm system notified firefighters while its sprinkler system limited the fire from spreading, according to the fire department. Firefighters located and quickly extinguished the flames burning against an interior wall. Nobody was found inside the store.

Department Store, Retail

Sprinkler system controls suitcase fire at Dillard’s department store (Tucson, AZ)

Tucson Fire was dispatched to the Dillard’s at Park Place Mall where Firefighters discovered two suitcases on a shelf in the luggage department that were charred, but there were no active flames.  Once crews determined the fire was out, efforts were immediately made to shut-off the sprinkler system which had activited. The fire began on a shelf where suitcases were displayed, where the suitcases were firmly pressed up against a fluorescent light bulb.

Department Store, Retail

Fire sprinkler system helps to save discount department store (Great Falls, MT)

A discount department store had a small fire occur on Monday night, and after being alerted by a passerby, fire officials responded to the incident. They entered the building to find smoke, but no flames, thanks to the structure’s fire sprinkler system. A mechanical malfunction is being blamed for the incident, but investigators are still unsure if it was electrical or not. 

Great Falls Fire Marshal Dirk Johnson said regarding the incident, “We had two sprinkler heads go off that pretty much put the fire out and saved a lot of damage to Kmart, so sprinklers save lives.”

There were no injuries reported.