Category Archives: Grocery Store / Super Center

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Longmont, CO – Sprinkler system extinguishes majority of early morning fire at Target

Longmont police and fire investigators will be on scene at Target today to determine the cause of an early morning fire.

Longmont Fire Department spokeswoman Molly Cropp said the store will be closed for at least a few days as officials work to find the cause and origin.

A structure fire was reported at the store at 551 S. Hover St. at 4 a.m. today.

Firefighters found the store filled with smoke, but Cropp said the store’s sprinkler system put out the majority of the fire before they arrived on scene.

No employees or firefighters were injured during the incident.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Morganfield, KY – Sprinkler system helps extinguish overnight fire at Walmart

The Walmart in Morganfield will be closed for at least Monday due a overnight fire at the business.

At 2:14 a.m., Union County Dispatch sent Morganfield Fire Department, Union County Fire Department, Waverly Fire Department and Sturgis Fire Department to a fire at Walmart in Morganfield.

According to the Morganfield Fire Chief, Rick Millikan, upon arrival the store had been evacuated and units encountered heavy smoke in the store. The sprinkler system was activated.

Firefighters from MFD located and attacked the fire in the fabric section of the store . Other units arrived on scene, including Union County Fire and Sturgis Fire Department. They entered the loading dock area of the store, and interior crews extinguished the fire. 

The store did suffer smoke and water damage. Millikan said the cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

Walmart Morganfield Facebook page states the following: 

“We apologize to our customers but our Morganfield Walmart location will be unable to open today due to fire damage. We have a team en route to get us cleaned up.”

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Kapahulu, HI – Sprinkler system limits spread of early morning fire at Safeway grocery store

Safeway on Kapahulu is closed for business until further notice. Neighboring businesses are open and say that they were not affected by the fire.  Honolulu Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire inside the Safeway on Kapahulu Avenue Sunday.  HFD says the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. Fire crews got to the scene within minutes and worked to contain the blaze.  It was reported that 11 employees and three customers evacuated the building prior to the arrival of the HFD. A working automatic fire sprinkler system reduced the intensity and spread of this fire. The fire is under investigation and the cause has yet to be determined. Fire damages are not available at this time. No injuries were reported for this incident.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Columbia, MO – Activated sprinkler helps keep loading dock fire at Aldi store from spreading inside building

A semi trailer next to the Aldi grocery store on Green Meadows Road caught fire last Sunday, according to the Columbia Fire Department.  The semi trailer was parked at the loading dock at the side of the grocery store when it caught fire. The driver was able to get out safely and is working with investigators to determine the origin of the fire, Assistant Chief Jerry Jenkins said.  The fire department was dispatched to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. No one was injured.

The fire in the truck activated the sprinkler system inside Aldi, Jenkins said. Customers exited the building and were helped out of the area by the Columbia Police Department, which was also helping direct traffic.  The fire was still under investigation as of Sunday evening. Aldi employees at the scene had no comment.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Colonial Heights, VA – Fire in meat department of grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Crews from multiple jurisdictions responded to a fire inside the Food Lion located in the Dunlop Village shopping center in Colonial Heights. At approximately 4:46 p.m., Colonial Heights and Chesterfield Fire arrived on scene and were told that the Food Lion had a fire in the meat department. Companies from Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, Hopewell and Petersburg all responded.

The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction in a mechanical refrigeration unit, according to a Colonial Heights Fire spokesperson. A spokesperson with the Colonial Heights Fire Department said four people were treated for minor smoke inhalation. Later, one of those people wished to be transported for treatment. The fire was reported to be under control by 5:30 p.m.

The grocery store’s fire sprinkler system activated and controlled the fire until fire crews arrived and could extinguish the hot spots. The meat department suffered major fire damage, while the rest of the building suffered smoke damage. The damage to the building is estimated at about $15,000 and the estimated damage to the products are unknown at this time. The business will remain closed until it is cleaned up and safety repairs have been made.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

McKinleyville, CA – Sprinkler system at Safeway store keeps fire from spreading, limits damage

Arcata Fire District firefighters were called to a reported structure fire at the McKinleyville Safeway located at 1503 City Center Road.  Battalion Chief Gomes arrived on scene first and discovered black smoke coming from a vent on the back of the building. Being Sprinkler familiar with the building layout, Gomes knew the fire was in the storeroom and directed the first due engine from the McKinleyville Station to make entry at the rear of the store, and initiate fire attack.  Store employees confirmed the fires location and had initiated a building evacuation.  The crews located the fire in the loft machinery room, above the rear storeroom and the building’s sprinkler system had been triggered.  The fire attack team used the buildings ladder way to gain access to the loft and deploy a hose line to the fire to complete extinguishment.  The second arriving engine from Mad River Station supported the fire attack operation by securing a water supply. The third engine from Arcata Station, and subsequent arriving CalFire and Fieldbrook engines, assisted with water removal to the sales floor and storeroom and applied salvage techniques to save computer equipment and merchandise.   

The fire loss was minimal, with an estimate of $2000 in damages.  Battalion Chief Gomes reports “The fire was held by the sprinkler systems that had activated properly, which assisted the firefighters in quickly extinguishing the burning material.  The combination of the two, saved this multi-million dollar building and its contents. Safeway was open for business the next day.”

The cause of fire was determined to be ordinary combustibles stored too close to hot mechanical equipment.

Additional engines from Humboldt Bay Fire and Blue Lake Fire covered District stations while the incident was occurring.

Arcata Fire District would like to remind all businesses and residents to keep adequate clearance around mechanical and electrical service equipment and ensure that sprinkler systems and extinguishers are checked regularly and functioning properly.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system limits spread of fire at Atwater Market

The Atwater Market has reopened following an early morning fire at one of the food stands attached to the exterior of the building.

The structure is a temporary extension to the market during the winter months, built with removable walls and awning.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 3:30 a.m. on Friday.

Martin Farmer, chief of operations for the Montreal fire department, said flames and smoke could be seen jutting from the side of the building.

No one was injured, but damages are estimated at around $50,000.

Farmer said the building’s sprinkler system did its job, helping limit the spread of fire.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Logan, WV – Evening fire at Walmart contained to stock room by sprinkler system; Store reopens next morning

The city of Logan Fire Department responded to a structural fire at the Walmart in Logan around 9 p.m. Saturday. Fire Chief Scott Beckett said the fire was contained to a stock room in the back of the store.  “This is a real testament to working sprinkler systems and quick reaction times,” Beckett said. “As soon as employees realized there was a fire, they activated the fire alarms and got everyone to safety.”

Firefighters were originally told the fire was located in the shop area where tires are purchased and installed, but determined it was actually located in the rear of the building in a stock room. Beckett said the flames did not reach the main area of the store because the stock room sprinkler system had been activated. Chris Hatfield, fire marshal for the city, conducted the investigation into the cause of the fire. Beckett said Hatfield’s report deemed the cause to be accidental. The fire reportedly began when a returned item with batteries inside short circuited and began to burn. Other items close by also ignited.

No injuries were reported, and all employees on duty Saturday night were accounted for. Beckett said he commends the quick reaction from Walmart employees and his crew for their work in keeping the fire contained. “This was really a textbook situation,” Beckett said. “Minimal damage, no injuries, the store is already back open. Everyone did what they needed to do to keep this situation from being worse than it could’ve been.”

Other areas inside the store were affected by smoke, but it was also quickly ventilated to minimize the damage. Any open food items such as fruits and vegetables will be destroyed, along with any others that would be a hazard to the public. Walmart reopened to the public at 10 a.m. Sunday. The store thanked the community for their patience in a Facebook post that morning.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

North Liberty, IA – Sprinkler system assists fire crews in controlling supermarket fire

A fire was reported at an eastern Iowa Fareway on Sunday morning.  Sunday, September 10, at 10:30 a.m. the North Liberty Fire Department was called to Fareway for alarms going off and smoke coming from the roof.  When crews arrived, they saw smoke from the roof, and the inside  full of smoke. They found the fire in a refrigerator unit, they believe motor sparks started the fire. Fire crews were able to put out the fire with help from the sprinkler system. 

Fareway was closed at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.  The North Liberty Fire Department was assisted by Solon, Coralville, and Tiffin Fire Departments. Johnson County Ambulance Service, Iowa State Patrol, Mid America Energy and Johnson County Joint Communication Center were also on scene.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Fort Worth, TX – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Wal-Mart; Damage limited to one aisle

A 36-year-old man lit a fire at a Wal-Mart in far north Fort Worth last week to create a diversion and steal money, but he “chickened out” and left the store empty-handed, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Gilberto Hernandez was charged with arson this week, accused in a fire at the Wal-Mart in the 2400 block of Avondale Haslet Road on July 3. The fire was contained to one aisle and was extinguished by the store’s sprinkler system.  Hernandez, in an interview with arson investigators, admitted setting the fire, according to an affidavit written by investigator M.B. Sims.

Hernandez said he had been “casing” the Wal-Mart for more than two months and had managed to steal a manager’s set of keys, the affidavit said. On July 3, he went to the store with his wife, who was unaware of his plans to set a fire. At the store, Hernandez grabbed a flammable product from the automotive department, spread it on merchandise in the drapes aisle and started a fire with a cigarette lighter.   At a cash register, he told an employee that he smelled smoke. “He said he made this comment so that someone would put the fire out,” the affidavit said. “He said he couldn’t go through with stealing the money after all.”

Investigators obtained surveillance video of Hernandez walking into the drapes aisle with a container of fuel additive, the affidavit said. Photographs and video of him leaving the store were released to news outlets last week and investigators received numerous tips identifying Hernandez as the suspect.  Fort Worth police initially arrested Hernandez at his home Thursday on an unrelated warrant out of Indiana. He remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $50,000.