Category Archives: Retail

Auto Dealership, Retail

Gaithersburg, MD – Sprinkler system prevented fire from spreading at auto repair shop; No injuries reported

Two cars are left damaged after a fire started in a Gaithersburg auto repair shop.

According to the Montgomery County Fire Department, the fire broke out Thursday at about 7 am at J B Auto Repair on Rickenbacker Drive.

About 50 firefighters were on scene and found that the fire started in the engine compartment of a BMW vehicle, and extended to at least one other car.

Officials say the sprinkler system helped prevent the fire from spreading to other cars under repair inside the garage.

“Good thing it happened at the end of the shop. There were like 14 cars inside the shop, so two of them were the two last cars that got damaged. We were able to, I guess, get the issue solved early, but a lot of clean up to do,” explained J B Auto Repair owner, Jose Benitez.

Fire officials determined the cause to be accidental, but say they are aware that the BMW vehicle model does have a history of issues with fires starting in the engine area and believe that to have been the cause.

No employees or firefighters suffered injuries. 

Other - Retail, Retail

Richfield, WI – Fire at Cabela’s extinguished by sprinkler system

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Firefighters on Thursday night, Feb. 21 responded to the scene of a fire at Cabela’s in the Village of Richfield. The call came in around 11:15 p.m.

Officials say the fire originated in an arcade game on the second floor — and was extinguished by the sprinkler system. The fire appeared to be electrical.

It was estimated by fire personnel that approximately 3,000 gallons of water was expelled from the sprinkler system.

The incident remains under investigation, and no one was injured as a result the fire.

Other - Retail, Retail

Sparks, NV – Fire at CVS Pharmacy extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Sparks Fire Department has extinguished a fire at the CVS Pharmacy at Oddie and El Rancho.

Firefighters were called shortly before 1PM February 21, 2019 and found the fire in and around the HVAC system; it had been partially extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system. Fire crews finished putting the fire out with their hose.

No one was hurt. The cause has not been determined.

Sparks Fire says the store is closed pending repairs to the sprinkler system and roof.

With 24 firefighters on scene, Sparks Fire got help from Truckee Meadows Fire and Reno Fire to cover the city until crews were released from the incident.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Concord, NC – Mall fire confined to small area by sprinkler system

A fire near Off Broadway Shoes caused an evacuation of Concord Mills Wednesday afternoon.

Around 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Concord Fire was dispatched to the mall. When crews arrived, they did find an active fire within a small corridor located near Off Broadway Shoes.

As crews arrived on the scene of the Concord Mills Alarm, an effective evacuation of occupants was taking place, and fire department crews located a fire within a corridor.

Both the Concord Fire Department and Concord Police Department worked diligently to assist in a complete evacuation. And fire department personnel were able to extinguish the fire within 8-10 minutes of arrival on the scene.

Due to the alarm and sprinkler systems activating, the fire was kept to a small confined area. However, it was for safety purposes that the mall remained evacuated for several hours.

Cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Concord Fire Marshal’s office.

Department Store, Retail

Paso Robles, CA – Sprinkler system held fire in check at Lowe’s Home Improvement until fire crews arrived

A fire started inside the Lowe’s Home Improvement in Paso Robles on Saturday night.

According to Paso Fire Battalion Chief  Scott Hallett, a fire started in the rear of the building, in the receiving and storage area of the store around 8:30 p.m.

Multiple resources responded alongside Paso Robles Fire including CAL FIRE and Atascadero Fire Department.

The fire was “held in check” by the sprinkler prior to the arrival of firefighters, Hallet said.

Crews worked about three hours, working on smoke evacuation and water removal. Hallet reported the fire caused minor damage to merchandise and damage to storage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Taking the damage into account, Lowe’s Home Improvement is likely to reopen on Sunday, Hallett said.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system controlled fire at fitness center before fire crews arrived

No one was injured after a small fire at a fitness centre on Portage Avenue Sunday morning.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said firefighters were called to the scene of a strip mall in the 900 block of Portage Avenue at about 7:57 a.m.

Smoke was coming from the eaves from Valentine’s Fitness and Weight Loss Centre, so firefighters went inside to launch an attack and the fire was quickly put out.

The building’s sprinkler system helped control the fire before firefighters got there, said the WFPS.

The building suffered minimal fire damage but the business saw extensive smoke damage, they added.

No one was in the building at the time, and the fire was caused by a broken bathroom fan. There are currently no damage estimates.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Fire at strip mall controlled by sprinkler system till fire crews arrived

No one was injured after a small fire at a fitness centre on Portage Avenue Sunday morning.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said firefighters were called to the scene of a strip mall in the 900 block of Portage Avenue at about 7:57 a.m.

Smoke was coming from the eaves from Valentine’s Fitness and Weight Loss Centre, so firefighters went inside to launch an attack and the fire was quickly put out.

The building’s sprinkler system helped control the fire before firefighters got there, said the WFPS.

The building suffered minimal fire damage but the business saw extensive smoke damage, they added.

No one was in the building at the time, and the fire was caused by a broken bathroom fan. There are currently no damage estimates.

Other - Retail, Retail

Peoria Heights, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at bakery

After sanding and finishing a set of stairs at Trefzger’s Bakery, owners Jeff and Martha Huebner tossed their oil-stained socks into a trash can and went home Sunday afternoon.

Hours later, the socks burst aflame, sparking a fire that caused as much as $250,000 in losses at the business, 4416 N. Prospect Road.

“The socks just started on fire by spontaneous combustion,” Jeff Huebner said. “It was just one of those weird things that we never would have imagined would happen.”

In their stocking feet Sunday afternoon, he and his wife used linseed oil to finish a set of worn stairs on the first floor of the two-story structure. When the job was done, they realized their socks were ruined.

“We just tossed them into the garbage and didn’t think anything of it,” he said.

But late Sunday, with the building unoccupied, the oily socks ignited inside the otherwise empty plastic can, said Peoria Heights Fire Chief Greg Walters. He said that oils like linseed oil, if compressed — such as within a clump of cloth materials, like socks — will heat up and catch the cloth on fire.

That is what occurred inside the Trefzger’s trash can, which melted next to cake-preparation table. A bag inside the can burned and melted, with embers falling onto cardboard boxes under the table. The boxes then caught fire, triggering a fire alarm and Trefzger’s sprinkler system just before 11:30 p.m.

As firefighters responded, Peoria Heights police spotted flames on the first floor of the building. Firefighters arrived to find the fire at the prep table, Walters said.

A crew stretched water lines inside to extinguish the fire, containing the fire damage to that area. The sprinkler system also helped slow the spread of the fire, Walters said. Assisting were firefighters from Peoria, West Peoria and Chillicothe, while Limestone Township firefighters provided back-up coverage.

Walters said that the structure sustained no damage from the actual fire. However, smoke and water damage is extensive, he said. The total loss — including cleanup, plus potential lost revenue and wages — is estimated between $100,000 and $250,000, Walters said.

After contacting his insurer, Jeff Huebner said the business will be closed for a couple of days while a cleanup service — already on the scene Monday morning — put the place back in working order. At the end of the cleanup, the Peoria City/County Health Department will examine the business to clear it for operations again.

On Oct. 13, 2016, Trefzger’s Bakery completed its nine-block move north on Prospect Road and opened for business inside a renovated, 121-year-old former bicycle factory.

Other - Retail, Retail

Mission, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at tire store

Wednesday night’s fire inside the Mission Canadian Tire store is now considered to be suspicious.

According to a press release, the Mission RCMP have opened an active investigation.

Police are seeking any witnesses to the fire and asking them to come forward.

The release asks that if anyone was in the area of Canadian Tire, on London Ave., between 6-7 p.m. during the time of the fire and has dash cam footage, they should forward it to the Mission RCMP Detachment.

Anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the area during the time of the fire are also urged to come forward with information.

The fire broke out inside the Canadian Tire store at about 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 30.

Mission Fire Rescue Service was called and quickly responded.

“Crews, when they arrived on scene, found smoke right to the floor, inside the structure,” said Mission fire chief Dale Unrau.

Firefighters located the blaze “within the racking.” It has been “mostly put out” by the in-building sprinkler system, explained Unrau.

“Firefighters completed extinguishing the fire and at this point in time are just ventilating the structure,” Unrau said on Wednesday night.

There were no injuries to report as staff and customers exited the store safely. No firefighters were injured during the blaze.

Unrau said there is no damage to the structure itself but the clean up will take time.

“The sprinkler system did a great job and extinguished the fire, but there’s lots of water throughout the store and smoke throughout the store as well, so I’m sure the building will be out of service for an extended period of time.”

Several hours later, at about 2 a.m. Thursday morning, firefighters were called out to the store again as a second fire began to burn.

“We’re not quite sure why we had another fire break out in there, but when we left after the first one, our fire investigators had already completed their investigation in the initial fire area and our crews that were ventilating the structure had gone through and done a final check with a thermal camera and everything was cold,” said Unrau.

He called it a mystery and noted that the Mission RCMP were on scene throughout the night, watching the structure until the morning when the police investigation team arrived.

Unrau said the fire is “definitely suspicious.”

“I have a big team of investigators digging through the rubble as we speak.”

Department Store, Retail

Hazleton, PA – Department store fire kept in check by sprinkler system until fire crews arrived

Firefighters brazed sub-zero temperatures extinguishing a fire in a storage room inside Boscov’s Department Store in the Laurel Mall near Hazleton on Thursday morning.

Crews responded to the store at the Laurel Mall in Hazle Township at 4:23 a.m., circled the building and saw smoke coming from one corner on the Regal Cinema side of the building, township fire Chief Scott Kostician said. Firefighters tried accessing the Knox Box to gain entry into the building, but the box was frozen due to the extreme cold, he said.

Firefighters then forced the doors to get inside and found a fire in a storage room, Kostician said. The sprinkler system kept the fire under control until crews could bring in a hose to extinguish it, he said.

The storage room sustained significant fire damage and that corner of the building on both upper and lower levels sustained water damage. Firefighters used more than 20 fans to remove smoke from both levels of the building, Kostician said.

The store called in a cleanup crew to deal with the damage, he said.

Kostician didn’t think the store could open right now, as the sprinkler system was shut down and the electrical system needs to evaluated, he said. When called, an operator said the store would be opening at noon. A manager was not available for comment.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and a state police fire marshal was called, Kostician said.

Firefighters dealt with extreme cold during the response. Temperatures were at minus-10 and firefighters sheltered inside the store once the smoke cleared, Kostician said. The mall was also available as a shelter from the cold, he said.

Firefighters used a 5-inch hose to supply water from the hydrant. Hazle Township lost three sections of hose due to the extreme cold and needed heavy equipment to pry up the hose, which froze to the ground and cracked in half when firefighters tried to roll it up, Kostician said.

“It was brutal. I’ve never experienced this,” he said.

Assisting Hazle Township were firefighters from Freeland, Valley Regional, Sugarloaf, Hazleton, McAdoo and Dorrance Township, White Haven and Weatherly were also called into Freeland on standby for extra manpower if a response was necessary in the extreme cold, borough Fire Chief Joe Stepansky said.