Category Archives: Retail

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Milford, CT – Fire in Wal-Mart garden center is kept from spreading by sprinkler system

A fire at the Wal-Mart store on Boston Post Road on Tuesday forced the store to shut down temporarily while fire crews extinguished the blaze.  Shortly after 5 p.m., fire units raced to the store at 1365 Boston Post Road after an employee reported a fire, according to Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi.

“Firefighting units arrived on scene to find a large volume of smoke visible from the fenced area of the garden center where pallets of store stock are kept,” he said. “The building’s fire sprinkler system had activated, which prevented the blaze from spreading.”  Firefighters quickly extinguished the remainder of the fire and safely got the burned items out of the area.  The store was evacuated and closed while crews worked to put out the fire.

“When a structure fire occurs, it is imperative to evacuate the building and call 911 from a safe area outside of the structure,” Fabrizi said. “As a reminder, proper functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives. Please check yours today.”  Fabrizi said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Milford Fire Marshal.

Retail, Storage / Warehouse

Spring Hill, TN – Firefighters contain tire fire at Discount Tire store with help from sprinkler

The Spring Hill Fire Department responded to a fire outbreak at Discount Tire on Main Street Saturday night, which both Spring Hill firefighters and members of the Williamson County Rescue Squad successfully extinguished within a few hours.

“We get the call a little bit after 8 (p.m.), and when we arrive, sprinkler heads are already activated, and we’ve got a heavy fire in the tires and smoke coming out of the roof,” said Spring Hill Fire Chief Terry Hood. “Where the sprinkler wasn’t putting the fire out, we had active fire between some tires. We spent about two to three hours getting it under control.”

According to Hood, the source of the fire has been determined to be a heat gun that was near some cardboard boxes. A heat gun is sometimes used in the tire installation process, specifically for the installation of wheel weights.  “By the rack of tires we found the trash can, and there’s no other possible cause of ignition there,” Hood said. “When the fire attacked the cord [of the heat gun], it melted away, which caused the wires to short [circuit].”

Hood said the performance of both his firefighters and the Williamson County Rescue Squad was “excellent,” especially considering the dangers tire fires can bring. Tire fires are difficult to extinguish, and release dark smoke that contains dangerous chemicals such as cyanide and sulfur dioxide.

The Discount Tire closed at 6 p.m. on Saturday, and the manager reportedly left the business at around 7 p.m., with Spring Hill Fire receiving a call about smoke roughly an hour afterwards.  The manager at the Spring Hill Discount Tire, Joe Stevens, said he immediately returned to the business after hearing reports of a fire, and feared the worst.  “Honestly, I thought the whole thing burned down,” Stevens said. “When I pulled in, there were already fire trucks here and police officers, thank god they were here. I honestly thought the whole building was going to be down.” The Discount Tire is temporarily closed, but will be reopened “within a few days,” according to staff.

Retail

Brampton, ON, Canada – All animals safe at PetSmart store after sprinkler system isolates fire

The incident called firefighters to the scene of a PetSmart location at 547 Steeles Avenue.  Brampton Fire & Emergency Services reported on Twitter that the fire was isolated by the sprinkler system and is under control.  All animals in the store have been reported safe.

Reported on Twitter – Crews operating at a commercial property fire at 547 Steeles Av. Fire is under control. Sprinkler system has isolated the fire. All animals are safe. Smoke control is underway. @CityBrampton @BPFFA1068 ^hg

 

Retail, Shopping Mall

Providence, RI – Sprinkler system controlled tractor trailer truck fire in parking garage

A tractor trailer truck caught fire Tuesday morning at the loading dock of the North Garage at the Providence Place mall.

Firefighters responded at 8:17 a.m. and found the cab of the truck fully in flames, according to an email from Lindsay Lague, spokeswoman for Providence public safety.

Two sprinkler heads above the truck activated, and fire crews helped extinguish the fire with a hose, Lague wrote.

The fire was under control as of 8:50 a.m., but smoke persisted in the loading dock area, the parking garage and some areas of the mall.

Crews metered the parking garage and other public areas for carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, but there were no issues with either gas.

Crews were able to clear the smoke and the mall opened on time at 10 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Chelmsford, MA – Oven fire at grocery store contained by sprinkler system until fire crews arrive

The Drum Hill Hannaford grocery store shut down for several hours Monday, following an oven fire in the store’s deli area, Fire Chief Gary Ryan said.

No injuries were reported. The store reopened just after 2:30 p.m., Ryan said.

Ryan said the Chelmsford Fire Department responded with an engine company at 7:04 a.m. Nov. 12 for a fire alarm activation.

When they arrived, the engine company encountered smoke by the deli. They also found an oven fire being contained by an activated sprinkler head, Ryan said.

The damage was limited to the deli area and the store was shut down for cleaning and sprinkler restoration, Ryan said.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Evansville, IN – Structure fire at nail salon contained by sprinkler system

Firefighters were responding to an apparent structure fire at a West side business Saturday evening.

The fire apparently originated at Pretty Nails nail salon, according to scanner traffic. Responders were working to get the building’s sprinkler system turned off, but the fire was stopped.

The call came in around 8:15 p.m. According to scanner traffic, Evansville and Vanderburgh County officers are blocking all east-west on Pearl Drive. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

The address on the call was 5405 Pearl Drive, which is the location of a strip mall that houses Buffalo Wild Wings. Eye-Mart and Crazy Buffet as well as the nail salon.

According to scanner traffic, multiple fire and rescue units were staging at the AMC Theatre just down the street. The site of the fire was safely evacuated.

Auto Dealership

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system prevents garage fire from spreading to showroom at Mercedes-Benz dealership

A fire at a Mercedes-Benz dealership on Tucson’s east side on Wednesday, Oct. 24, damaged at least one car in the garage, but did not spread to the showroom.  Sprinklers activated, helping stop the spread of the fire at 6350 E. Grant Road.  According to information from the Tucson Fire Department, one employee of the dealership was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor burns. No firefighters were hurt.  It took 36 firefighters and 15 TFD units about 16 minutes to get the fire under control.  Investigators are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Miami Township, OH – Fire in body shop of auto dealership doused by sprinkler system; Dealership open for business next morning

Crews are working to determine the cause of a small fire Friday night in one of the body shop bays at Castrucci Honda Service in Miami Twp.  A cleaning crew called in the fire a Miami Valley Fire District battalion chief said involved some papers that produced smoke as well. The garage sprinkler system kicked in to douse the fire.  The smoke and fire damage at the business, 3013 Mall Park Drive, are minimal, said General Manager Mike Boone, head of all Castrucci business in the Dayton area. Boone said the business will be open Saturday.  He also said he doesn’t believe any of the vehicles in the body shop were damaged.  No injuries were reported.

Crews were dispatched just after 9:30 p.m. on a report of a possible structure fire.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Anderson, SC – Walmart arson fire contained by sprinkler system

A stuffed animal was set on fire, presumably as a distraction so someone could steal a robotic vacuum, said Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart.

Three days after what authorities believe to be an arson, the Walmart on State 28 Bypass reopened this morning.

The store was evacuated Monday, with no injuries, after a fire that began near the photography department.

The small fire was quickly contained by the sprinkler system, but that caused water damage and there was a lot of smoke.

Stewart said a man has been arrested and charged.

Michael Travis Robinson, 43, is charged with second degree arson.

According to a warrant, he set fire to an item in the store causing “extendive damage to the location with numerous people present.”

These areas will be open, according to the store’s Facebook page: “produce, bakery, deli, meat, dairy, grocery, pets, paper goods, and chemicals.”

The investigation into the fire is ongoing and is being conducted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division along with the Anderson Police Department and the Anderson Fire Department.

Department Store, Retail

Ocala, FL – Arson fire at Macy’s store extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Police in Ocala, FL, are looking for the woman who lit a rack of underwear on fire inside a Macy’s store Tuesday morning. The suspect walked into the store’s Paddock Mall location at 10:11 a.m. and wandered around for 45 minutes. Firefighters arrived shortly after she left and saw light smoke coming from the mall’s north entrance, according to the Ocala StarBanner.

“It was a bunch of smoke rolling out and people were walking – running outside,” witness Kortnee Eubanks told WFTV. The sprinkler system had already extinguished the flames, but needed to be reset and fans were brought in to help ventilate the store.  Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Officer Meghan Shay told local media the store’s staff thought they were smelling gas.  The mall released a statement on its website Tuesday that announced the store would remain closed the remainder of that day.

“The safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees is our top priority. We are working closely with the Ocala Police Department as they investigate this incident further,” the statement said. The woman left the store, but surveillance cameras captured her vehicle, which appears to be a dark gray sedan.

Anyone who recognizes this person or vehicle should call Ocala police at 352-369-7000. Once arrested, she will face an arson charge.