Category Archives: Shopping Mall

Retail, Shopping Mall

Missoula, MT – Electric car in mall parking lot ignited, fire conatined by sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Missoula City Fire Department issued the following press release regarding the fire that occurred at Southgate Mall on Sunday morning.

‘The Missoula Fire Department was dispatched to an activated fire sprinkler system with smoke inside the Southgate Mall.

Arriving crews found heavy smoke just inside the East main entrance and approximately 4 ceiling mounted fire sprinklers activated just above the involved vehicle at the central clock court. Firefighters entered with a hose line and portable fire extinguishers, and quickly gained control of the fire however, the vehicle would re-ignite randomly. Crews soon discovered that the vehicle involved was electric and still plugged in to a floor outlet. Once de-energized the fire was completely extinguished.

Southgate Mall management and security assisted with accessing and shutting down the fire sprinkler system, MPD controlled access to the Mall.

MFD set up smoke fans and de-energized floor outlets. Once atmosphere was tenable Mall maintenance was allowed in to start clean up and assist with pushing the electric vehicle outside.’

Three engines and 12 firefighters responded to the incident, with no injuries reported.

Southgate Mall Manager Tim Winger told KGVO News on Sunday afternoon that a slight incident set off one of the sprinkler heads near Clock Court early in the morning causing minor damage.

Due to the incident and the cleanup that is currently underway, the Western Montana Car Club Expo was cancelled for the day.

Winger said regular mall operations will resume on Monday, September 28 with their normal operations from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Hackensack, NJ – Garbage fire put out by fire sprinkler system at mall; No injuries reported

A garbage fire cleared The Shops at Riverside mall in Hackensack on Tuesday afternoon, though the flames were quickly extinguished by the mall’s sprinkler system, said Capt. Justin Derevyanik of the Hackensack Fire Department.

Heavy smoke still lingered an hour and a half after the fire was put out, and shoppers remained outside the mall waiting to go back in.

The flames broke out just before 1:45 p.m. when cardboard and other trash ignited inside the compactor, which is under the parking garage in the rear of the building.

Derevyanik said the fire was contained to the compactor but some smoke seeped into the shopping mall.

There were no injuries, and Derevyanik expected crews to finish resetting the alarm system in time to allow customers back inside by about 4 p.m.

The fire remained under investigation.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Calgary, Alberta, CA – Fire at strip mall contained thanks to sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire has damaged a strip mall in the Airways industrial area in northeast Calgary.

Fire crews were called to the area on 30 Ave. NE around 4:20 Monday morning.

When they arrived, crews found broken glass from windows that were shattered along with water flowing from sprinklers.

A small fire was eventually found and confined to the rear of the strip mall.

Damage to nearby shops was minor and mainly resulting from water and smoke.

Right now, there are no reports of any injuries.

Calgary police say fire investigators are now trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Lancaster, PA – Sprinkler system control fire at mall food kiosk

A fire caused damage at Park City Center in Lancaster on Friday morning.

The fire started in a food warmer at a kiosk in the center of the mall around 6:30 a.m., firefighters said.

The fire activated the sprinkler system. According to firefighters, there were two to three inches of water in the center of the mall and smoke throughout every wing.

There was moderate to heavy smoke in the center court.

Fans were brought in to clear out the remaining smoke. Some stores are now open.

Because there are restaurants in the mall, the health department was brought in to inspect them.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Laredo, TX – Fire at outlet mall controlled by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

 Fire officials are investigating a blaze that broke out at our local outlet mall Tuesday.

The incident happened shortly after 9 p.m.

According to fire officials, heavy smoke was seen inside a store at the Outlet Shoppes at Laredo.

At the time, smoke was coming through some of the clothing items at the store when the sprinkler system went off.

Fire officials say no injuries were reported and there were no damages to other stores.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Sacramento, CA – Fire at strip mall contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Firefighters say no one was hurt in a two-alarm fire at a south Sacramento strip mall on Friday morning.

The scene was along the 5800 block of Stockton Boulevard.

According to the Sacramento Fire Department, the fire was first reported a little after 7 a.m. A second-alarm was called.

Firefighters extinguished the flames within the hour. They credit the building’s sprinkler system with helping contain the flames to one unit.

Traffic in the area was blocked due to the fire response.

Exactly what caused the fire is still under investigation.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Moline, IL – Fire caused by incense left burning in shopping mall put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Incense that was left burning inside a store at SouthPark Mall has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, according to Moline’s fire marshal.

The fire started just after 11 a.m. on Monday, December 16.  The mall was evacuated as the halls filled with smoke.

According to Fire Marshal Jerry Spiegel, the fire started inside the Fig Tree bookstore.  He said incense had been left burning with the ashes falling into a cardboard box; that’s what ultimately caused the fire.

Spiegel said the fire was contained within minutes.  Four sprinklers went off and helped put out most of the flames before crews arrived, but smoke continued to filter through the mall hallways.

Damage to the Fig Tree has been estimated at about $50,000, said Spiegel.  That combined with the smoke damage to other stores adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Spiegel said the biggest challenge for crews was getting the smoke out of the building.  TMI came to help activate the mall’s ventilation system to get the smoke out.

There were no injuries.

The inside of the mall was set to remain closed for Monday.  The anchor stores, JCPenney, Dillards and Von Maur opened from the outside, according to mall management.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Faribault, MN – Fire at Petsmart in local mall extinguished by fire sprinklers

Faribault Fire Chief Dustin Dienst meets this morning with a investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office to go over the results of a fire that started in the bathroom at PetsMart in the Faribo West Mall.  The call was received 4:59 p.m. Tuesday with the Faribault Fire Department, Faribault Police Department, Rice County Sheriff’s Office and North Ambulance all responding to the scene.

People were evacuated from the building. Chief Dienst says, “Light smoke could be seen in the back of the business.  Police officers made entry to locate the fire, evacuate animals and give the fire department a size up.”

When the fire department got there it was determined the fire was located in a bathroom and the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire.  The sprinkler system was shut down.  Firefighters used squeegees to clean up the water on the floor by pushing it down a drain.

Faribault Police also did on scene investigation and it was decided to call in the State Fire Marshal’s Office because the fire was determined to be suspicious.

Chief Dienst noted the Discover School had a fire late Sunday night where the sprinkler system also did it’s job.  That fire was reported 11:17 p.m. Sunday.  When the fire department arrived alarms were sounding.

Fire crews located the fire on the 3rd floor and made a quick knock down of the fire with the help from the sprinkler system in the building.  The majority of the fire was contained to the 3rd floor ceiling.  A small fire started on the wood floor below the ceiling fire from burning materials falling from the ceiling.  That fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short in a wire that was covered with cellulose insulation in the 3rd floor ceiling.

Chief Dienst commented, “The building’s sprinkler system and alarm system operated correctly and alerted the fire department while the fire was still small.  Firefighters made entry, located and extinguished the fire quickly.  Without those systems this fire had the potential to destroy the building.”

Chief Dienst also commended the employees of PetsMart for, “Doing a good job of evacuating the customers so that no one was in danger.”

Retail, Shopping Mall

Knoxville, TN – Fire at mall food court contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Anchor store have begun reopening in West Town Mall after the mall evacuated Friday morning due to a small fire in the Food Court area.

The Knoxville fire department was alerted to a fire at approximately 11 a.m. in West town Mall.

Fire department crews discovered a small fire in the rear of three restaurants located in the Food Court.

The fire sprinkler system contained the fire and crews were able to continue extinguishment. No one was injured.

The mall was evacuated as a precaution and anchor stores have begun to reopen to customers.

The fire is under investigation and no cause has been determined. All Mall entrances are blocked to incoming traffic.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Eden Prairie, MN – Fire at shopping mall quickly put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Moviegoers were forced to evacuate Wednesday evening after a small fire broke out near the AMC Theater at Eden Prairie Center.

According to the Eden Prairie Fire Department, the fire occurred around 7:45 p.m. in a back hallway behind the AMC theater, where it was quickly controlled by the sprinkler system installed inside the mall.

The fire caused light smoke in the mall, but heavy smoke in the back hallway.

Authorities say there were no injuries and no other businesses in the mall were evacuated. The theater is expected to reopen Thursday.