Category Archives: Retail

Other - Retail, Retail

Moncton, NB, Canada – Sprinklers activate to help stop fire at Salvation Army Thrift Store

Staff and customers — and even a goldfish — were evacuated from a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Moncton Saturday after a fire broke out in a backroom storage area.

Three large bins of clothing were on fire when Moncton firefighters arrived on scene at about 6:15 p.m., said platoon Chief Paul Bruens.

“The fire grew quickly and intensely and activated the building sprinkler system,” he said.

The fire was out with about 15 minutes, Bruens said. Most of the damage was from water and smoke.

“The thrift store quickly filled with smoke so it took a little while to safely ventilate the building to make sure occupants could return.”

There were no injuries, Bruens said. Firefighters went so far as to take a fish bowl from one of the offices.

“Everybody got out safely,” Bruens said. “Even the goldfish.”

Other - Retail, Retail

McKinney, TX – Electrical fire at Sherwin Williams paint store controlled by sprinkler system

McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to an incident Oct. 28 at Sherwin Williams, 310 N. Central Expressway, and discovered a fire sprinkler system had activated and was controlling an electrical fire in the rear of the store. Two sprinkler heads are credited for the minimal damage and reinforced the value of fire sprinkler systems. No injuries were reported from the fire.

“This successful sprinkler save demonstrates the effectiveness of an automatic fire sprinkler systems in a commercial environment. Had the sprinkler system not been present, the outcome could have been very different,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Andrew Barr.

Approximately 36 MFD personnel and investigators from the Fire Marshal’s office responded to the fire and mutual aid from Allen, Fairview and Frisco fire departments was requested. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

For additional information on fire protection systems, code requirements or other fire prevention topics, visit www.mckinneyfire.org or call 972-547-2879.

 

Retail, Shopping Mall

Riverside, CA – Arson fire at shopping mall extinguished by sprinkler system

A homeless man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting a small fire at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside.  The fire was reported about 8:45 a.m. in a part of the mall that is under construction. Riverside Fire Investigations Supervisor Ray Mendoza said the fire was extinguished by the mall’s sprinkler system, but part of the mall was still evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The fire alarm closest to the fire was in test mode, which caused a delayed response from city firefighters. Mendoza said it’s common for fire alarms to be in test mode in buildings under construction.
When firefighters did arrive at 1299 Galleria at Tyler to investigate the extinguished fire, which caused about $5,000 in damage, they determined it was intentionally ignited.  Mall security told firefighters they knew where the suspect, 28-year-old Brian Haugh, was at the time.  Hough was arrested on suspicion of arson and taken to the Robert Presley Detention Center, where bail is set at $35,000.

Other - Retail, Retail

Madison, WI – Overnight fire at retail store extinguished by sprinkler system

Other - Retail, Retail

Phoenix, AZ – Suspected arson fire at tattoo shop knocked down by sprinkler system

Wolfskin Ink tattoo shop is the victim of a suspected arsonist who allegedly threw some kind of accelerant at the front window causing a fire to break out.  

It happened early Wednesday morning.  

According to fire officials, there is surveillance video of a single person getting out of a car, lighting something and throwing it at the front window.  Luckily for the shop owner, the accelerant hit a metal grate and bounced off causing most of the fire to stay outside of the business.  

However, a table inside did catch fire but a sprinkler system was able to knock the flames out before firefighters arrived. 

Wolfskin Ink owner, Reynay Perkins, says she has no idea why someone would do this.

“We haven’t had any problems with anyone recently,” Perkins said. 

Perkins says the tattoo shop has operated near 17th Avenue and Bell Road for the past two years. The company was founded in her backyard with her husband Jubel and then it grew from there.  

The suspected arson comes at a rough time. Her husband was murdered near 18th and Adams streets in late August. Police are still searching for a suspect in the case.

As for the suspected arson, Wolfskin Ink did suffer mostly water damage, but Perkins says the shop could be up and running by early next week.  

“Everyday is another curve ball. Just gotta keep running with the punches,” Perkins said.  

Other - Retail, Retail

Bedford, TX – Arson fire at convenience store put out by sprinkler system

Bedford police want to find the man who tried to set a convenience store clerk on fire who possibly ended up burning himself.  Police say the robber walked into a Bedford store Thursday night, took money from the clerk and set the place on fire, pouring some kind of flammable liquid in the store and on the clerk.

“The guy got the money out of the register and got it from Harry,” Quick Track Manager Sharron Meeks. Police say the man had a brown hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. His only weapon appeared to be a bottle wrapped in a red rag and filled with what the store thinks was gasoline.

“Your heart sinks because you think how can someone be so cruel to not value life enough that they would do something like that to another human being?” said Meeks.

The video shows the man walk into the store. He poured the liquid on the counter and then went to the cash register where the clerk gave him money. The suspect then poured the liquid behind the counter and on the clerk.

“Wanted the money of the cash register, and he gave it to him, Meeks said. It was a close call for the clerk. People with the company say the sprinkler system put out the fire and probably saved the clerk from being burned. Police believe the suspect slipped and fell as he ran out and may have burn injuries to his hands, arms and upper chest.

“You see robberies in this business a lot, but this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” Meeks said. “The scariest.”

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Dillingham, AK – Arson fire at grocery market knocked down by sprinkler system

An automatic sprinkler system kept early morning fires set inside the N&N Market down, but not out, and the Dillingham Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene before 8:00 a.m.

“When we made entry, the building was full of smoke, pretty heavy smoke,” said Assistant Fire Chief Malcolm Wright. “There were fires in several different places, and they’d been knocked down by the sprinkler system. The sprinklers did their job, but there was still a lot of smoke, and [we] had to overhaul the materials that had burned.”

Wright said there appeared to be two spots fires were started in the store. One was back in the clothing section near the footwear, and another was where bulk paper towels are sold on an aisle end cap, next to the produce section and the freezers. Those were areas firefighters focused on pulling apart materials to stamp out the fire.

Wright, a veteran firefighter, had no doubt the fires had been set intentionally. “Yeah, there is no way I could waffle on that. But I want to leave it to police to say more when they’re ready,” he said.

As to the extent of the damage, Wright said it was “pretty heavy” inside, but credited the sprinklers with preventing the fire from spreading further. “There was a bunch of stuff [damaged] on the shelves, some shelving, some lights, but probably much more water damage I would think. Took us a while to get the sprinklers turned back off,” he said.

Two Dillingham police officers were inside collecting evidence immediately after the firefighters cleared the building. Chief Dan Pasquariello could not be reached for comment Sunday morning.

A witness at the scene, who asked not to be named, told police that noises were heard and the power was out at N&N around 3:30 a.m., and not long after a vehicle sped quickly from behind the store and drove a ways down the road before turning its lights on. Other store employees at the scene said the perpetrator or perpetrators had broken a window in the rear of the building to gain entrance.

No injuries were reported. The N&N Market was closed for business Sunday.

There are city cameras around the port entrance, and in the past N&N Market has operated cameras in the store which have helped lead to the arrest of other burglars. So far Dillingham Police have not said what evidence was collected, what if anything was stolen, or if they are looking for any suspects.

The volunteer crash rescue squad also responded to a vehicle accident north on Lake Road earlier in the morning, and the fire department was pulled away from the scene of the N&N fire after a report of a fire in HUD housing was called in. That turned out to be a false alarm; smoke from fireworks shot into the woodline to scare off a bear had been mistaken for a fire.

Update, 12:45 p.m.: Dillingham Police Chief Dan Pasquariello issued a press release, confirming an arson and burglary investigation is underway, though no suspects have been named. “Investigation revealed that person(s) had broken into the building, stole numerous items from the store, and deliberately set the store on fire,” he wrote.

Pasquariello said the ATM had been targeted, but did not want to comment on other items stolen. He did not say how many people had been involved, or if the Department has suspects in mind. The chief said the police are in the early stages of their investigation, and has asked anyone with information regarding burglary and arson at N&N early Sunday morning to contact DPD at 842-5354.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Riverside, CA – Fire at vintage car restoration business limited by sprinkler system; Welding sited as cause

Welding equipment set fire to a vintage car at a Riverside auto repair shop causing $150,000 damage, city fire officials say, though a sprinkler contained the flames until firefighters arrived. The blaze was reported at 6:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, inside a 1952 Chevy that was being restored at DMCG Inc., 1860 Chicago Ave., in Freeway Industrial Park. “A guy was welding and ignited the upholstery of the rear seat,” said Acting Capt. Brandon Mollicone. Smoke and water damage also affected several adjoining businesses, Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said in a written statement. Fire crews finished extinguishing the flames, then used exhaust fans to clear smoke out of the building, and squeegees to remove the water. No one was hurt.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Missoula, MT – Sprinkler system activates to help prevent dumpster fire from spreading into shopping mall

Witnesses say thick smoke was billowing into the Southgate Mall late Friday evening as emergency crews responded to a fire outside the shopping center. 

Auto Dealership, Retail

Arlington Heights, IL – Early morning blaze at car dealership quickly put out by sprinkler system

An early morning blaze Friday at an Arlington Heights car dealership was quickly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, officials with the Arlington Heights Fire Department said.

The Arlington Heights Fire Department responded to a call from a passerby who reported seeing a fire just after midnight at the Arlington Nissan dealership at 1100 W. Dundee Road, Battalion Chief Tom Zerfass said.

The fire is thought to have been started by a car that was brought in for service, and was parked in one of the warehouse bays, Zerfass said.  The building was empty at the time, Zerfass said, and there were no injuries reported.