Category Archives: Retail

Other - Retail, Retail

Madison, WI – Damage in furniture store fire limited with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a reported fire at an east side furniture store Saturday morning, a dispatcher said. The dispatcher said crews were called to the Slumberland Furniture store at 2201 East Springs Drive at 8:57 a.m. on a water flow report from the building’s sprinkler system. Crews found the building filled with smoke, officials said.  Firefighters followed the sound of water coming from a sprinkler to find the fire, since the smoke made it hard to see inside the building, officials said. Firefighters found several pieces of furniture on fire near the back of the store.  The fire was controlled by 9:10 a.m., after which crews remained on scene to ventilate the building, officials said. Firefighters used an airboat to help ventilate the store.  A preliminary investigation showed that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault. A damage estimate was not available Saturday morning, officials said.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Yakima, WA – Car fire in parking garage prevented from spreading by overhead sprinkler

A car fire in a garage above the former downtown Yakima mall was prevented from spreading by an overhead sprinkler that activated before firefighters arrived Tuesday afternoon.

Yakima firefighters responded to the fire around 2:30 p.m. on the second level of the garage. The sprinkler confined the fire to a single car before firefighters moved in with hoses, the fire department said.

Shift commander Mitch Cole said the fire was accidental. The car’s driver said she heard a pop while leaving the garage and saw smoke coming from the engine compartment, Cole said in news release.

The car and its contents were destroyed. The fire department estimates the loss to be $1,800.

The fire department said there was no damage to the parking garage.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Reidsville, NC – Arson fire at Food Lion grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Two fires ignited in Reidsville businesses on Saturday, Feb. 18, but officials say there is no connection … Less than 22 hours later, at 11:24 p.m., Reidsville Police, Reidsville Fire and the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to Food Lion in reference to a fire.  Inside, officials found a man actively damaging property.   The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Annie Penn Hospital, according to a news release.

Harris said a suspect broke a window, entered the store, caused damage and used a lighter to ignite paper products on aisle eight, including toilet paper and paper towels. This set off two overhead sprinklers which suppressed the fire.  There was limited fire damage to the building.  The officials arrived at 11:28 p.m. and the situation was under control by 11:37 p.m.

Department Store, Retail

Wilmington, DE – Fire at Macy’s Department Store suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire at Macy’s in Concord Mall caused an estimated $150,000 in damages Thursday afternoon, according to fire officials. The blaze was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at the mall on Concord Pike in Brandywine Hundred, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael G. Chionchio in a press release.  Most of the fire damage occurred in a clothing storage area off the main sales floor, but smoke filled the department store, Chionchio said. The fire was suppressed by the building’s sprinkler system, he said.  The Talleyville Fire Company and several neighboring fire companies responded to the fire.  No injuries were reported, Chionchio said. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the origin and cause of the fire.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Epping, NH – Sprinkler system helps firefighters tackle blaze at auto dealership

Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire in the service department area of Hurlbert Toyota that forced more than 40 workers to evacuate the building Monday afternoon.

Fire crews from several towns responded to the car dealership at 58 Calef Highway (Route 125) after the fire broke out just before 4 p.m.

The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known, but it may have been started by an overheated motor in an air compressor, according to Jeff Hurlbert, the company’s vice president.

Epping Fire Chief Don DeAngelis said he saw fire inside the compressor room when he arrived.

The sprinkler system activated and helped contain the fire, he said.

“There was a lot of grease that was stored there and that caught fire and started rolling out on us,” DeAngelis said.

One employee was treated after he appeared to suffer some burns when he attempted to extinguish the fire, DeAngelis said.

The fire quickly went to two alarms to bring more apparatus to the scene.

DeAngelis said Epping fire crews ran out of water shortly after arriving, but water continued to flow as soon as Brentwood firefighters hooked up to a nearby hydrant.

Employees began evacuating the building moments after the fire broke out and the alarms and sprinklers activated. Some waited outside in the cold while others walked over to the McDonald’s restaurant next door to stay warm.

“When the alarm went off I immediately evacuated the upstairs and came down and started evacuating the main floor and saw the smoke,” said company president Roy Hurlbert.

He said more than 40 employees were working at the time and made it out safely.

The extent of the fire, smoke and water damage wasn’t immediately known.

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.