Category Archives: Retail

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.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Odessa, TX – Sprinkler system activates in fire at retail store in shopping mall

Odessa Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the At Home located at Music City Mall on Sunday night, which is now under investigation as possible arson. An auto sprinkler alarm notified OFR of the fire, which they responded to around 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Music City Mall, 4101 E. 42nd St, Odessa Spokeswoman Andrea Goodson said. Goodson said there is little detail available on the fire due to it being under investigation, but Goodson said it was contained fairly quickly and there were no injuries reported. An At Home employee said the store is currently open, but about half of the store is closed off due to the damage.

Restaurant, Shopping Mall

Casper, WY – Single sprinkler contains shopping mall restaurant fire until firefighters arrive

At approximately 12:00 AM Sunday morning, February 4th, Casper Fire-EMS responded to a fire alarm at the 600 block of Southeast Wyoming Boulevard, the Eastridge Mall. Firefighters say that they arrived and found a fire in a storage closet area of a restaurant in the building. The fire was accessed and extinguished a short time after arrival. There were no occupants of the building at the time of the fire.

No injuries were reported as a result. A cause is yet to be determined and remains under investigation. Prior to arrival of firefighters, a single head in the fire sprinkler system in the building activated. The action of the system controlled the fire until firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze. Officials say in a written statement to media, that the fire was contained to the storage area and damage was minimal. A value of damage to the building and contents has not been determined. 5 units of Casper Fire-EMS initially responded. They were assisted by Casper Police and the Wyoming Medical Center.

Casper Fire-EMS says that the fire illustrates the value of fire sprinkler systems. “The presence of the system in this case limited spread of the fire to other areas of the structure. What could have been a well-developed and growing fire was controlled in the area of origin until arrival of firefighters,” officials say in the written statement. “These systems represent an important life safety and property protection component of modern structures.”

Other - Retail, Retail

Belmont, MA – Sprinkler system controls fire affecting three businesses

A building’s sprinkler system did its job preventing a fire from spreading and allowed the Belmont Fire Department to extinguish a one-alarm blaze that damaged three businesses in Cushing Square around 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.

A fire alarm was activated at 8:23 p.m. at 448 Common St. in what is called The Spirited Gourmet Building, said Belmont Fire Chief David L. Frizzell at the scene. When fire equipment arrived two minutes later, the fire control panel indicated a blaze in Pilgrim Shoe Repair.

Upon gaining access, crews discovered the store full of smoke and small fire in the back corner of the operation.

“The sprinkler’s worked controlling the fire long enough for our personnel to knock it down,” said Frizzell. Fire crews spent nearly two hours searching for “hot spots” in the walls and ceiling. Besides the Pilgrim, water damage was reported in The Spirited Gourmet and the Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Woodstock, GA – Afternoon fire at video game store put out by sprinkler system

A video game store suffered interior damage following a fire reported late Friday morning in Woodstock. Firefighters with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services and Woodstock Fire & Rescue were dispatched to Max Video Games at 6424 Bells Ferry Road around 11:30 a.m. Jan. 12.  Firefighters arrived at the shopping mall located across from Walmart to find “light smoke coming out of the back” of the video store’s building, Cherokee County Fire said in a press release.

Those firefighters ventured inside the building to find the sprinkler system had been activated, which put out the fire, the agency added. Cherokee fire investigator Shane Daniel said the building suffered interior damage due to fire, smoke and water. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Max Video Games is the company that bought out Play N Trade and relocated its operations from 2290 Towne Lake Parkway to the shopping center at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Eagle Drive, according to a September 2014 post on its Facebook page.

As Patch readers recall, Play N Trade suffered a serious blow in September 2013 when a fire set during an armed robbery gutted a good portion of that business while it was housed at 2290 Eagle Drive. Play N Trade’s owner, Troy Brazelton, suffered second- and third-degree burns on his extremities due to the fire. Police offered a reward and interviewed witnesses related to that incident, but have not made an arrest in the case.  Return to Patch for updates.

 

Other - Retail, Other Business

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system saves laundry business from further fire damage; Business remains open

Firefighters responded to flames at Mega Coin Laundry last Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say the fire began in a dryer and after the clothes were removed from the machine, the smoke set off the sprinkler system. Those with the Rochester Fire Department say they were able to shut down the sprinkler system after forcing entry on a door, but Mega Coin and two other businesses experienced an estimated $10,000 in water damage to floor and carpeting. No one was injured, and officials say Mega Coin Laundry will be able to remain open.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Albemarle, NC – Sprinkler system contains fire at auto repair business

A car repair business inside the Yett Millwork Corporation building at 503 Old Charlotte Road has been displaced due to a Tuesday morning fire. Albemarle Fire Department units were dispatched at 7:29 a.m. and the first unit arrived six minutes later. Engine 121 reported smoke showing from the building, with a fire being discovered inside. “Luckily the sprinkler system worked OK and contained the fire to where it started,” Fire Chief Shawn Oke said. Two individuals escaped the building on their own and two others were located and removed during a search of the building, Oke said. Damage to the building is estimated at $20,000, with damage to contents at $5,000. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Twelve on-duty and 14 off-duty personnel responded and had the scene cleared shortly after 11 a.m. Also assisting were Albemarle Police Department, Stanly County EMS and City of Albemarle Public Utilities.

Other - Retail, Retail

Rochester, MN – Single sprinkler extinguishes fire at beauty salon; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system saved an area business from going up in flames. The Rochester Fire Department responded to Sola Salon just before 6:00 p.m. Monday after for an automatic fire alarm. When crews arrived they found an activated sprinkler head had extinguished the fire. From there, crews ensured the fire was out, and ventilated the smoke out of the building. No one was injured. The business is looking at $10,000 for clean-up. The cause is under investigation.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Fairfield, NJ – Sprinkler system assists in firefighters in suppressing overnight fire at Mercedes-Benz dealership

An electrical fire at the Mercedes-Benz of Caldwell at 1230 Bloomfield Avenue in Fairfield last week was suppressed with the help of an automatic fire sprinkler system.  According to the Fairfield Police Department, officers received a call from cleaning workers about a fire in the shop area of the business around 10:10 p.m. on Dec. 9. The workers were in a different part of the building when they saw smoke and flames in the shop area, police said. A Fairfield police officer responding to the scene was able to determine that the building was evacuated, but had to retreat due to a “very heavy” smoke condition.

The Fairfield Fire Department arrived soon afterward and extinguished the conflagration. Authorities provided the following statement about the possible cause of the fire:

“Preliminary investigation indicates that a 2015 C300 Mercedes Benz was up on a lift and was apparently attached to a computer diagnostic machine. It appears that an electrical fire started and traveled up the lift and eventually caught the car on fire. The sprinkler system activated and helped to assist in keeping the fire suppressed.”

Police said that while the direct fire damage appears to have been confined to the Mercedes, the business itself received a substantial amount of smoke and water damage. Additionally, other vehicles that were located on lifts in the shop may have also experienced both water and smoke damage. The financial toll of the damage was not immediately available, police stated.

Other - Retail, Retail

Jefferson City, MO – No one injured after commercial structure fire doused by sprinkler system

Jefferson City firefighters responded Tuesday night to fire in a commercial building on West Truman Boulevard.

The assistant fire chief says that by the time the firefighters arrived, all employees were accounted for, and there were no injuries.

A small fire was still burning inside when firefighters got there but, fortunately, the building’s fire sprinkler system kicked in and was able to control the flames, which were completely extinguished within about 10 minutes.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.