Category Archives: Retail

Retail, Shopping Mall

Oneonta, NY – Fire at Southside Mall contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system contained a fire in a service room at Southside Mall early Wednesday morning, officials said. The flames were extinguished and the mall was open as usual.

Crews went to the rear side of the main mall building at about 4 a.m. after responding to multiple alarms at the property reported by an alarm company through Otsego County 911, Oneonta Fire Department officials said, and crews were at the mall minutes later.

Oneonta crews put out flames in a small area of a service room in the main building at the mall on state Route 23 in the town of Oneonta, said Fire Chief Patrick Pidgeon.

Pidgeon said no one was hurt and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Upon responding, crews checked buildings on the mall property and found water coming out of a doorway in the back of the main mall structure, Pidgeon said. Three sprinkler heads in the service room had provided sufficient water to suppress the blaze so that crews were able to enter the building and service room, he said, and crews used a fire extinguisher with water to put out flames that were showing.

Southside Mall was open as usual, according to Luisa Montanti, general manager at the mall. The fire was in a stock room, sprinkler heads were replaced and the electrical panels were being checked, she said.

“It was a small incident,” Montanti said. She expressed gratitude that the sprinkler system worked and for the quick response of the Oneonta Fire Department.

Oneonta crews were back in service after the fire at about 6:15 a.m., officials said.

Other - Retail, Retail

Schaumburg, IL (No Media Coverage) – Fire at IKEA store contained by sprinkler system

FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED – NO MEDIA COVERAGE ***  The Village of Schaumburg Fire Department responded to a call early morning (1:30 am) on Wednesday (1/18) at the IKEA in Schaumburg. Upon arrival our crews reported light smoke in the building. They were meet by building maintenance who stated the syrup machine started on fire in the first floor food court activating the sprinkler system. A single sprinkler contained the fire, and the building engineer was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The cause is believed to be due to a shorted electrical cord, and the damage was limited to an estimated $4,000.

Other - Retail, Retail

Mississippi Mills, ON, Canada – Forklift fire at hardware store contained with help from sprinkler system

Mississippi Mills Fire Department responded to a fire at 476 Ottawa Street Monday January 16 at approximately 8:08 a.m. Upon arrival fire crews found a forklift on fire along with some building supplies. The operator of the forklift was taken to Almonte Hospital with minor burns and to be assessed.

The store was evacuated when the fire department arrived.

Fire was contained to the rear storage area of the main store with some smoke and water damage. The fire was controlled with help of the store sprinkler system and quick work by the Mississippi Mills Fire Department.

It has not been determined what caused the equipment malfunction and the dollar value of the damage. Fire is still under investigation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Yakima, WA – Sprinkler system contains suspected arson fire at Bi-Mart store

Authorities say a fire that caused an estimated $1 million damage at the Bi-Mart store on North 40th Avenue early Tuesday morning was deliberately set and may have stemmed from a burglary.

Evidence suggests it was arson, said Capt. Jeff Pfaff, spokesman for the Yakima Fire Department, which is working with police to determine the exact cause of the fire and where it started.

Firefighters were called to the store, 1207 N. 40th Ave., at 2:15 a.m. on a report that water was flowing in the building’s sprinkler system. Arriving crews found smoke coming from the back of the building and cardboard boxes burning in a second-story storage area, Pfaff said.

The building’s back doors were open, suggesting someone entered after the store closed for the night, said police spokesman Mike Bastinelli.

A search of the area with a police dog was not successful. It is unknown if anything was taken from the store, Bastinelli said.

Twenty-four firefighters worked to put out the fire, which Pfaff said was confined to the upper storage room due to the sprinkler system. However, smoke went through the building and water pooled in the storage area damaging merchandise, Pfaff said.

Fire officials estimate damage at $1,005,000. Officials said it is unknown how much of the store’s stock, including food, can be salvaged.

The store will close for an indefinite time while it is cleaned up and the merchandise is assessed, said Don Leber, Bi-Mart’s vice president of advertising and marketing.

Leber said the store, which opened in November 1959, employs about 55 people. Some of them will be transferred temporarily to the Bi-Mart on South Fifth Avenue to help with the additional shoppers expected there, while the rest will be assisting with the cleanup at the North 40th Avenue store.

Bi-Mart is also transferring prescriptions for customers of the North 40th Avenue store to its other Yakima location, Leber said. He said the company hopes to reopen the pharmacy in the next couple of days, but people will have to use the outside window.

Bastinelli said Bi-Mart was one of four reported burglaries within a 3-mile radius that police were investigating Tuesday. However, he said Bi-Mart does not appear to be related to the other cases.

Detectives are investigating break-ins at the Conoco gas station at 4708 Tieton Drive; Tom-Tom Espresso, 412 S. 40th Ave.; and the Sunshine Mart, 6712 Tieton Drive, Bastinelli said.

Office Building, Retail

Las Vegas, NV – Restroom fire at mixed-use retail and office center extinguished by sprinkler system

An automatic fire sprinkler put out a small fire in a restroom this afternoon at Tivoli Village, according to a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue news release. Firefighters were called to the complex at 302 S. Rampart Boulevard near Alta Drive just before 5:15 p.m. When they arrived, smoke was coming out an outside restroom. Firefighters found where the fire occurred and confirmed it was already extinguished by the fire sprinkler.  Firefighters assisted with shutting the water off and cleaning up the area.  The only item that burned was the motorized paper towel dispenser. Damage was estimated at $250. The restroom is outside near an outside playground area.  The incident remains under investigation by Las Vegas Arson Investigators. There were no reported injuries during the incident.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Brampton, ON, Canada – Shopping mall fire held in check by sprinkler system; Fire started in clothes dryer

Two burnt towels in a clothes dryer started a fire that forced the evacuation of a Brampton shopping mall on Thursday morning (Jan. 5), according to Brampton Fire and Emergency Services officials. A sprinkler kept the fire in check at Royal Crest Mall, at 50 Kennedy Rd. S., according to firefighters; but a significant amount of smoke was generated.  Firefighters were called at 10:20 a.m., with reports of smoke coming from the mall at Clarence Street.  Five trucks and a district chief initially responded, but the first alarm was quickly upgraded to a second alarm in response to the heavy smoke. Three more trucks and a platoon chief responded.  The mall was evacuated, and a Brampton Transit bus kept evacuees out of the cold. Tenants and shoppers were allowed to return after the smoke was cleared.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

South Lake Tahoe, CA – Fire in attic mechanical room at Target store contained by sprinkler system

A fire broke out in a furnace room at the South Lake Tahoe TJ Maxx store just before 7:00 p.m. Monday night, resulting in the store filling up with smoke and water.  South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue personnel responded, and found the store’s sprinkler system was able to keep the fire from spreading and it was contained to the one room.  The furnace was located above the store’s dressing rooms. With all of the water used to put out the fire, the ceiling collapsed and created quite a mess in that portion of the store.  “Much of the floor is very wet,” said SLTFR Battalion Chief Tim Spencer. “There was light smoke inside so there may be some smokey clothing.”

With the freezing temperatures in South Lake Tahoe, Spencer said they had concern about frozen water. As of 8:45 p.m., they are in clean-up mode and making sure the scene is safe. “We are ready to turn the store back to manager,” said Spencer. “It’s now up to the insurance and restoration companies.”  Firefighters from Lake Valley Fire also responded to the store which is located at the Y.

Other - Retail, Retail

Rockford, IL – Beauty supply store fire caused by unattended incense put out by sprinkler system

No one was injured this morning when a fire broke out inside a Rockford beauty supply store, a fire investigator said.

Rockford firefighters were called at 9:18 a.m. to the fire at State Beauty Supply, 4010 E. State St., according to the fire department.

Arson investigator Mike Schnaper said the fire began in the back of the shop. It was accidental, he said. Fire Division Chief Matt Knott said the fire was caused by incense left burning.

The fire was extinguished by the store’s sprinkler system and smoke and water damage is estimated at $10,000, according to the fire department.”

The damage was very well controlled by the sprinklers,” Schnaper said, but the shop isn’t usable at this time.

Other - Retail, Retail

Hanford, CA – Arson fire at furniture store contained by sprinklers; Damage limited to few pieces of furniture

Police and fire officials are investigating after a Hanford furniture store was vandalized and set on fire early Thursday morning. The damage forced the Oak and Sofa Liquidators store at 295 N. Redington Street to close its doors for repairs.  Store owner Brandon Mason the total damage was not immediately clear, but he hopes to reopen the Hanford store as soon as possible. Mason said Oak and Sofa Liquidators has been notifying customers who have purchased furniture to pick up their orders at the store’s Visalia location.

“People want their stuff before Christmas, so we’ve got to get it to them,” Mason said. Around 2:55 a.m. Thursday, the Hanford Fire Department was called to a structure fire at the store, located in the 200 block of North Redington Street. The Hanford Police Department responded to a burglar alarm at the store at 2:52 a.m.  One of the windows at the northeast end of the building had a large hole through the holiday-themed paint job.  Battalion Chief Erik Brotemarkle said it appears that someone threw something flammable through the window. Brotemarkle said it appears the flammable substance started a fire inside, about 15 feet inside from the broken window.

Due to thick smoke, firefighters had to use a thermal imaging device to locate the fire. Brotemarkle said the building’s sprinkler system confined the fire to a few pieces of furniture. Other merchandise sustained water damage from the sprinklers. Brotemarkle said the fire was mostly extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. Firefighters used a ventilation fan to clear out the heavy smoke.  “The sprinkler system for this building did its job,” Brotemarkle said.

Mason said the sprinkler system was only activated in the area around the fire. A commercial cleaning and restoration company began cleaning other areas of the store Thursday morning. Fire investigator Capt. Frank Etulain said the fire appears to be the result of arson. Etulain said he could not disclose the exact cause due to the ongoing investigation, but evidence suggests something was likely thrown through the window from the outside. There were no signs that anyone had entered the store.  Etulain said firefighters were able to control the burning by moving items around under the sprinkler.  A total of 14 personnel responded to the fire. The Hanford Police Department, Kings County Sheriff’s Office and Kings County Fire Department assisted with the incident.  Hanford police Capt. Karl Anderson said police are aware of about a half-dozen incidents involving broken windows in the downtown area over the past few weeks. Those have included the Hanford Antique Emporium, Kings Christian Thrift Store and vacant storefronts in the 100 block of East Seventh Street and the 100 block of North Douty Street.  On Dec. 12, police responded to a burglary report at the International Church of God in the 500 block of East Seventh Street. Police said someone smashed a window and stole a computer and printer.

Other - Retail, Retail

Brevard, NC – Kitchen fire at spa successfully extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire at Elements Spa and Shop in Brevard is forcing it into a temporary relocation.  A small kitchen fire at Elements triggered the sprinkler system, which successfully extinguished the flames but caused water damage at its French Broad Place location.  Elements is temporarily returning to its original location in the Hollingsworth Building at 147 E. Main Street, Suite 101, terrace…