Category Archives: Grocery Store / Super Center

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Walmart

Fire investigators believe a Sunday night fire at the Walmart Supercenter on at Charleston and Decatur boulevards was “intentionally set.”

The fire started just before 8 p.m. in the rear of the store in the paper towel aisle creating a large amount of smoke. According to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, automatic fire sprinklers quickly helped douse the flames.

When fire crews arrived at the scene, people were already in the process of evacuating the store. One person was injured when they tripped and fell during the evacuation. That person was treated by paramedics and transported to the hospital.

Damage was estimated at $200,000, mostly due to smoke damaging items in the store. Structural damage was estimated at less than $10,000. Firefighters and employees of Walmart worked quickly to make sure water from the sprinkler system did not damage the store further.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Plantation, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Walmart; No injuries reported

An early morning fire at a Walmart in Plantation caused minor damage, closing the store and other adjacent businesses.

There were no reported injuries at the Walmart Neighborhood Market but smoke and water from the sprinkler system caused enough damage to keep the store closed until after clean up and repairs.

The fire started just before 2 a.m. Friday in the store at 1885 N. Pine Island Rd., located in the Jacaranda Square plaza near Sunrise Boulevard.

A Walmart employee outside the store would only say there was an emergency and the store is closed.

An employee at Davita Kidney Care, located next door, confirmed that there was a fire at the market overnight. She said it’s possible their medical office would be open later Friday after the smoke had cleared.

The Bealls Outlet sustained water damage from fire sprinklers and an employee tasked with cleaning up the mess said they would be closed for at least a couple of days, though there had been no fire in the department store.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Des Peres, MO – Supermarket fire that started in paper aisle contained by sprinkler system; No injuries Reported

Firefighters from multiple agencies raced to extinguish a fire Wednesday night at a Dierbergs store in West St. Louis County.

The call came in just after 8:10 p.m. at the Dierbergs at 1080 Lindemann Road.

The fire began in the paper aisle.

No one was injured and the store was safely evacuated. The sprinkler system did activate.

The fire was put out approximately 90 minutes later.

The St. Louis County Bomb and Arson Division is now investigating.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system kept fire in check at grocery store

A small fire broke out at a grocery store in central Fresno on Friday morning.

Firefighters say pieces of cardboard caught fire near the back of the Grocery Outlet on Blackstone and Effie. The flames then spread to inside the store.

A sprinkler-system inside the store kept the fire from growing. Fire crews were able to put the flames out quickly.

Damage to the store was minimal; the fire mostly burned cardboard in a storage section.

Firefighters are working to repair some of the water damage left behind by the sprinklers.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Monroe, GA – Supermarket sprinkler system stops bathroom fire

A sprinkler system averted would could have been a major fire damage at John’s Supermarket.

The Monroe Fire Department and Walton County Fire Rescue were dispatched to a commercial fire at the grocer, at 416 S. Broad St., shortly before 9:15 a.m. Monday.

Monroe fire Battalion Chief Jack Armstrong said the first units to arrive found a fire in a restroom extinguished by the sprinkler system.

“This was a fantastic example of how important fire sprinklers are,” Armstrong said. “What could have been millions in a loss only caused a few hundred dollars of damage.”

He said a faulty motor in the bathroom’s exhaust fan was the cause of the fire.

Armstrong said the store reopened after the danger eased.

John’s recently opened a major renovation of the store, which has been in Monroe for more than 50 years. The grocer opened an in-store restaurant, Bistro South, and added 8,500 square feet.

There are six loft apartments as well.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Kitchener/Waterloo, ON, Canada – Multiple fires at Walmart under investigation, kept in check by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Waterloo Regional Police are investigating after fires were set inside three Walmart stores in Kitchener and Waterloo on Tuesday night.

Police say emergency services were called to the Walmart location in the Sunrise Shopping Centre on Ottawa Street South near Fischer Hallman Road around 9:15 p.m. for a reported blaze.

“On arrival, they found an active fire in the paper products, while primarily toilet paper and other related products,” Tom Ruggle, Kitchener’s Chief Fire Prevention Officer, said.

Firefighters quickly put out the blaze.

At around 10 p.m., police said emergency services were called to the Walmart in Stanley Park Mall on River Road East near Ottawa Street North for another reported fire.

Similar to the first fire, someone lit paper products on fire, which needed to be extinguished by the Kitchener Fire Department.

Twenty minutes later, Waterloo Fire Rescue was called to the Walmart in the Bridgeport Plaza at Bridgeport Road East and Weber Street South.

“Firefighters confirmed entry into the store and encountered smoke banking down from the ceiling while conducting a primary search of the entire area,” Waterloo fire chief Richard Hepditch said.

“Fire crews ensured the fire was confined  and supported extinguishment of the fire which was kept in check by an active sprinkler-head/life-safety system.”

Similar to the KItchener fires, Waterloo police said the fire was started in the paper products aisle.

“All Waterloo Fire Stations responded to this incident where a total of 21 firefighters and 6 fire apparatus were involved.”

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office estimated the cost of the three fires to be at around $12 million.

”The fires were relatively small and contained,” Ruggle explained about the damage the stores had sustained. “However, there was a fair bit of smoke that was produced at the time of the fire.”

Manny Garcia, who is a supervisor with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office, says the damage could have been a lot worse.“Thankfully, these these large, big box stores such as Wal-Mart, they are protected by sprinkler systems,” he explained.“There was also intervention by a storing employee with a fire extinguisher, and that certainly helped slow down the fire progress until the sprinkler went off.“

There were no injuries reported in connection with any of the fires.

Walmart kept the stores closed into Wednesday afternoon as it dealt with the clean-up and repairs

“The stores will re-open as soon as possible while we work with officials to ensure the stores are safe and up to the standards our customers expect and deserve,” the company said in a statement.

“This appears to be a criminal act that will unfortunately impact many of our customers and associates in the middle of the pandemic. We are working closely with officials as they investigate”.

Police are treating the fires as arson.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Sandy, UT – Fire sprinklers help put out fire after tractor-trailer full of fireworks caught on fire;No injuries reported

A tractor-trailer, parked at a loading dock at a Smith’s in Sandy and filled with fireworks, caught fire Thursday morning.

Crews responded to the fire near 2000 East and 9400 South just after one a.m.

Investigators said the cause of the fire is suspicious.

“Concerning, definitely, there are some things that are suspicious about it,” said Ryan McConaghie, Deputy Chief of the Sandy City Fire Department.

Firefighters said the fire didn’t start in the trailer. It appears it started underneath and they could see several wood pallets stacked under the trailer when they arrived.

“That fire spread into the tractor-trailer box that they found out was full of fireworks,” McConaghie said. “Started the fireworks and started burning in the interior that opened up through the aluminum roof of that tractor-trailer and then it spread into the Smith’s building loading dock area and that actuated the fire sprinklers that helped put out the fire on the inside.”

FOX 13 viewer, Ben Perry, captured the fire just moments after it began with his cell phone. Perry said he was driving home from work when he noticed the huge cloud of smoke and called 911. He said he stayed on scene until firefighters arrived.

“There were fireworks that were exploding and you could hear it in the radio traffic coming out the top of that trailer and I’m sure into the loading dock into the Smith’s area,” McConaghie said. “So probably kind of exciting for the first ten minutes or so.”

A handful of employees were inside Smith’s and they evacuated. There were no injuries.

Investigators will comb through the evidence and check security cameras and other evidence in order to determine the cause of the fire.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Chesterfield County, VA – Sprinkler system contains bathroom fire at local Kroger; No injuries reported

Chesterfield Fire officials tell 8News a Midlothian-area Kroger was evacuated Wednesday evening after a bathroom fire activated the store’s water sprinkler system.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Fire crews were called to the 3000 block of Polo Parkway, inside The Shoppes at Bellgrade, for a public service call just before 7 p.m. Chesterfield Fire officials tell 8News that while details remain limited, the grocery store did suffer an unspecified amount of water damage.

An employee told 8News at the scene that the fire was discovered inside the family bathroom.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Bremerton, WA – Fire set by arsonist in children’s section of Walmart contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspected arsonist who they say set fire to children’s clothing inside a crowded Walmart store near Bremerton.

The blaze caused an estimated $3 million in damage and endangered more than 300 people who were in the store at the time, Kitsap County sheriff’s officials said.

Crews responded to the blaze, in the 6700 block of State Route 303, at about 10:30 a.m. after receiving several calls about clothing on fire inside the store.

The blaze set off the sprinkler system, and employees took quick action to try and limit the spread of the flames. Firefighters also worked to contain the flames to the clothing section before extinguishing the fire.

There were no reports of injuries.

Sheriff’s officials say the suspect entered the store wearing dark cothing, changed clothes after the fire and rode away on a bicycle.

Anyone who recognizes the suspect or who knows of his whereabouts is urged to call Kitsap County Sheriff’s Detective T. Dobbins at (360) 509-1026 or at (360) 337-5614. They may also contact Detective Sgt. Birkenfeld at (360) 340-5647.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Colorado Springs, CO – Sprinklers extinguish electrical fire at Walmart that started in a meat cooler

The Walmart on 8th St. in Colorado Springs was evacuated around 8:00 Sunday night for a fire.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department spokesman said there was a small fire in a meat cooler. The fire was extinguished by an automatic sprinkler.

Walmart was later reopened according to a tweet from the CSFD PIO’s Twitter at 9:22 p.m.

The accidental fire was a mechanical fire, according to CSFD Capt. Mike Smaldino.