Category Archives: Retail

Retail, Shopping Mall

Calgary, Alberta, CA – Fire at strip mall contained thanks to sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire has damaged a strip mall in the Airways industrial area in northeast Calgary.

Fire crews were called to the area on 30 Ave. NE around 4:20 Monday morning.

When they arrived, crews found broken glass from windows that were shattered along with water flowing from sprinklers.

A small fire was eventually found and confined to the rear of the strip mall.

Damage to nearby shops was minor and mainly resulting from water and smoke.

Right now, there are no reports of any injuries.

Calgary police say fire investigators are now trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

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.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Wildwood, FL – Sprinkler system helps control electrical fire at Walgreens

Multiple units from The Villages Public Safety Department and Sumter County Fire Rescue scrambled to a Villages drug store Wednesday night after receiving reports of a fire inside the business.

When firefighters arrived at the Walgreens at 2615 Burnsed Blvd. near the Sumter County Service Center in Wildwood, they discovered a small electrical fire that had triggered some of the sprinklers inside the store. The staff had evacuated into the parking lot and firefighters completed a thorough search and inspection of the building.

An employee said the store had remained open Wednesday after the incident was over and was able to reopen Thursday with normal business hours.

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.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Lake Charles, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire set by former grocery store employee

A Moss Bluff man was arrested on Friday for setting a fire inside of a grocery store where he used to work.

Spencer Wallace, 19, was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Jail and is facing one count of aggravated arson, public affairs director for the State Fire Marshal’s Office Ashley Rodrigue said.

Calcasieu Fire District responded to a fire at the Market Basket grocery store on the 300 block of Sam Houston Jones Parkway in Moss Bluff.

After assessing the scene and analyzing store surveillance video, which shows Wallace standing near the manager’s booth and setting a fire in a trash can, SFM investigators determined the fire was intentionally set.

In the video, Wallace was seen walking away after setting the fire that spread to the booth before the store’s sprinkler system extinguished it.

Wallace admitted to setting the fire in an interview with investigators and was placed under arrest.

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.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Lancaster, PA – Sprinkler system control fire at mall food kiosk

A fire caused damage at Park City Center in Lancaster on Friday morning.

The fire started in a food warmer at a kiosk in the center of the mall around 6:30 a.m., firefighters said.

The fire activated the sprinkler system. According to firefighters, there were two to three inches of water in the center of the mall and smoke throughout every wing.

There was moderate to heavy smoke in the center court.

Fans were brought in to clear out the remaining smoke. Some stores are now open.

Because there are restaurants in the mall, the health department was brought in to inspect them.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

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.