Category Archives: Retail

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.

Retail, Shopping Mall

West Burlington, IA – Jewelry store fire in shopping mall extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A small fire caused occurred at Kay’s Jewelry Store about 7 p.m. Wednesday at Westland Mall.  West Burlington Fire Chief Shaun Ryan said his firefighters responded to the mall about 7 p.m. on the report of smoke coming from a storage facility on the second-floor of the store.  He said sprinkler systems activated and extinguished most of the fire by the time fire crews arrived.  He said firefighters were able to knock down the remainder of the small fire within minutes.

The entire mall was evacuated for about 90 minutes while firefighters removed smoke from the area, he said. The mall’s alarm system is on the same circuit so fire alarms went off throughout the building. 

He said the cause of the investigation remains under investigation.  No injuries were reported.  The Burlington Fire Department assisted West Burlington at the scene.

Office Building, Retail

New Canaan, CT – Fire in historic downtown commercial building contained by sprinkler system

New Canaan firefighters on Monday night put out a blaze that had broken out in the third story of a commercial building at the corner of on Main Street and East Avenue, prompting emergency responders to close the area to motor vehicle traffic.  It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire at 96 Main St., though it appeared to have started in the attic of the prominent downtown building, according to Fire Chief Jack Hennessey.

“Sprinklers assisted with putting out the fire,” Hennessey told NewCanaanite.com. “The sprinklers saved the day. It could have been a very, very serious fire. Right now we are making sure that we got all of the fire and we are dealing with the water damage from the sprinkler system.”

No one was hurt in the blaze, which drew multiple New Canaan Police and Fire Department vehicles—including Engine 1 and Ladder 2—at about 7:48 p.m., officials said.  The full extent of the damage could not immediately be assessed, Hennessey said, though it included structural damage in the attic and water damage on the third floor and possibly second floor.

“It’s dark and it’s still a mess, so it’s hard to tell,” he said.  The smell of smoke wafted down from the building on this windy Labor Day night, as some dozen people milled about the street and sidewalk below.

Police closed Main Street between Locust and East Avenues, and also directed eastbound traffic on East Avenue back down away from the scene.  The 1912-built, brick-exterior building—long known as the “Wire Whisk” space and currently occupied by both New Canaan Nails & Spa and Kaahve coffee shop on the ground floor facing Main Street, and Cava restaurant on a lower level around Forest Street—is known to longtime locals as the former base of Elliot Noyes & Associates, named for the Harvard Five architect who worked and resided in New Canaan.

Other - Retail, Retail

Fairbanks, AK – Fire at Michaels craft store suppressed by sprinkler system

If you drove by the Michaels arts and crafts store in the Bentley Mall this (Tue) morning, not much looked out of the ordinary.  But if you tried to go in, you found the store closed, with a sign on the door saying there had been a fire in the business.

Fairbanks Firefighters got the call at 6-30 Monday evening, and arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the building, and a fire at the end of one of the aisles.  The origin and cause of the fire are currently under investigation by the Fairbanks Fire Marshals.

Kyle Green, FFD Deputy Fire Marshal, told us “We arrived on scene to find the building full of smoke. The store and the mall were evacuated. Crews made entry and found a fire in the store that was being suppressed by the sprinkler system pretty well. We had to finish extinguishing it. We did so and then we spent quite a bit of time ejecting smoke from the building and mitigating further damage. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Michaels is busy right now getting in touch with their folks to come up and assess what we’re looking at for damage.”

 

Retail, Shopping Mall

Oakville, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system knocks down fire at shopping mall caused by welding sparks

The Oakville Fire Department says no one was injured after fire broke out at the Oakville Place shopping mall earlier this morning (Tuesday). Fire crews were called to the mall at around 9 a.m.  Deputy Fire Chief George Birtig said the fire started at the building’s south side when sparks from welding, which was taking place on the roof in an area undergoing renovations, dropped down into a storage area on the second floor and ignited some products there.

“That set off the sprinkler system,” said Birtig.  “When we got there, there was still some flame left, but the sprinklers had knocked down the majority of the fire.”

Firefighters quickly extinguished what was left of the blaze.  Birtig said the mall was not open when the fire took place and so no shoppers were impacted.  Oakville Place staff said they were hopeful the mall could be reopened around noon.

Other - Retail, Retail

Marston Mills, MA – Sprinkler system holds fire in check at auto restoration business

Fire broke out in a strip mall building in Marstons Mills shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday.  Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills firefighters responded to an alarm activation at 40 Industrial Road and discovered the fire.  Only one business was open and everyone there safely evacuated.  A sprinkler system kept the fire in check and crews quickly got it under control.  Firefighters used a metal-cutting saw to gain entry to the unit. A sign identified the business as Euro-Restoration, a car repair company.  Mutual aid from Cotuit and West Barnstable assisted at the scene.