Category Archives: Shopping Mall

Retail, Shopping Mall

St. Catharines, ON, Canada – Fire in loading dock area of retail store contained by sprinkler system

A partial evacuation of the Pen Centre was initiated late Thursday afternoon after a small fire started at the Dollarama store.  St. Catharines Fire and Emergency Services Platoon Chief Rob Denhollander said the fire that broke out in the loading area was contained by the store’s sprinkler system.  Firefighters were dispatched about 5:25 p.m.  “Fire damage is minimal, but smoke and water damage is to be assessed,” he said on scene.

He said it will be up to an insurance adjuster to determine what store items can be salvaged.  The store is located opposite Winners, separated from the main part of the mall above an escalator.  Many shoppers and moviegoers had to leave the mall, Denhollander said.  “I’m sure there’s quite a few people who missed an ending (to a film),” he said, noting alarm bells were ringing.  No injuries were reported, he added, while also noting stores remained open.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Jessup, MD – Shopping center blaze snuffed out by sprinkler system

A building fire broke out in Jessup on Sunday, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.  Firefighters responded to the shopping center where MOM’s Organic Market and Ollie’s are located; the blaze occurred in a commercial space in the 7300 block of Assateague Drive before 6 p.m., officials said.  A sprinkler system put out the fire, which consequently did not spread, according to authorities.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Irving, TX – Sprinkler system contains fire in shopping mall electronics store; No injuries reported

A two-alarm fire has been extinguished at an electronics store inside Irving Mall, officials say.  The fire was first reported at about 9:17 p.m. inside a room at Express Electronics. Heavy smoke was reported inside the mall, and fire crews evacuated customers and employees.  The mall’s sprinkler system kicked in, and by 10:20 p.m. the fire was under control.  No injuries were reported.  The fire was contained to the room where it originated, but smoke poured into other parts of the building. Fire crews brought in a venitlation fan to help clear the smoke overnight.

 

Retail, Shopping Mall

Concord, NC – Sprinkler system helps put out fire at shopping mall; No injuries reported

A fire at Concord Mills Wednesday morning caused the mall to evacuate employees and shoppers for a brief time.

Officials say the fire began inside an exhaust fan in the bathroom of the FYE store around 9:15 a.m.

Concord Fire Chief Ray Allen says the sprinkler system kicked on and was able to help put out the fire.

While the fire was not huge, crews are grateful it happened so early in the morning when the mall was not more crowded.

Most of the stores reopened inside the mall around 11 a.m. No one was injured.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Tysons Corner, VA – Automatic fire sprinkler system activates to help control shopping mall fire

Fairfax County fire investigators said Tuesday that an exhaust fan ignited a two-alarm fire at the Tysons Corner Center last week when the mall was open. Damages are estimated at $30,000.  Around 5:17 p.m. on May 31, Fairfax County and Arlington County firefighters responded to the reported fire. Units found smoke coming from the roof, and they were able to quickly put out the fire. No one was injured.  Fire investigators concluded that the fire was ignited by an overheated exhaust fan motor coming in contact with paper towel rolls. The fire started in the storage closet of a kiosk.  An employee reported the fire after smelling burning plastic coming from the storage room. Smoke alarms and the fire sprinkler system were turned on after the fire was reported.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Chesterfield, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in mall bathroom

A store at a Chesterfield mall will be closed for a few hours after a fire broke out in the bathroom.

Chesterfield firefighters received the call at 9:10 a.m. for a report of a fire in the bathroom at Chesterfield Towne Center, located at 11500 Midlothian Turnpike.

When crews arrived on the scene, they found a small fire in the bathroom of the At Home store. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system. However, there was still some smoke inside and outside of the bathroom.

No injuries were reported, but employees and customers evacuated the store.

Crews are still on the scene for water cleanup, which will start once the sprinkler system shuts off.

The store opened at 9 a.m., but the store will be closed for a few hours as crews clean up. There is no word yet on when the store will reopen.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Mill Woods, AB, Canada – Activated sprinkler system assist firefighters in containing shopping mall store fire

The Millbourne Market Mall in Mill Woods was forced to close Sunday after a fire in the kitchen of a restaurant. Fire crews responded to Remelies Cuisine in the area of 76 Street and 38 Avenue around 12 p.m. after the sprinkler system activated during a fire.  Firefighters contained the blaze to the kitchen and put it out quickly.  Officials said no one was hurt.  The mall is closed for the rest of Sunday, and the fire is under investigation.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Greenville, DE – Overnight jewelry store fire controlled by sprinkler system

A building fire that caused about $100,000 in damages to the Jewelry Exchange of Delaware in Greenville was deemed accidental, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.  The fire, which happened around 2:30 a.m. at the Greenville Crossing II Shopping Center on Kennett Pike, prompted the response of the Talleyville Fire Company, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio. Investigators determined that the fire started in the back of the store when an electrical malfunction involving a refrigerator sparked the blaze, Chionchio said.  The automatic sprinkler system that contained the fire until firefighters arrived, he said. No one was hurt.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Duluth, GA – Fire at shoe repair shop in Gwinnett Place Mall controlled with help from sprinkler system

Shoppers fled Gwinnett Place Mall on Thursday afternoon after a fire broke out at a shoe repair shop, causing smoke to pour out into the mall’s open spaces.

Gwinnett County fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said firefighters were called to the mall at 4:54 p.m. because of a fire at the Heel Quick shop. They arrived to find the sprinkler system had gone off, but a moderate amount of smoke was still present in the second floor atrium area between Sears and Mega Mart, where the shoe repair shop was located.

Rutledge said the fire started in an area of the shop where a shoe repair machine was located. “The fire was pretty much being controlled by the sprinkler system,” Rutledge said. “The sprinkler fire suppression system pretty much did its job and kept the fire from spreading. There is extensive water damage in that immediate area and seeping down to the first floor.”

The major fire damage was confined to the area where the machine was located in the Heel Quick shop, and fire investigators were looking into what the exact cause of the fire was. Rutledge said a store employee was using the machine when the fire began, but the employee was able to get away without being injured.

“It appears to have originated in that piece of machinery,” Rutledge said.

He also said no shoppers or employees of other stores in the mall reported any injuries to fire or police officials.

The fire department spokesman added that the sprinkler system’s containment of the fire made it easier for firefighters to get into the store and put the flames out.

“They were able to put the fire completely out with only two water cans off the (fire truck) apparatus,” Rutledge said. “In other words, they didn’t have to pull hose lines into the building.”

The mall was initially evacuated only between Sears and the Mega Mart, but Rutledge said the amount of smoke coming from the store caused them to quickly evacuate the rest of the mall as well.

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.