Category Archives: Shopping Mall

San Jose, CA – Sprinkler system activates to limit spread of fire at retail strip mall

Firefighters knocked down a two-alarm fire this morning at a strip mall in San Jose, according to a San Jose Fire Department spokesman. At 3:18 a.m., fire crews responded to the blaze at a strip mall at 2455 Alvin Ave. At the scene firefighters found smoke coming from the roof, according to fire Capt. Brad Cloutier. At 3:31 a.m., the blaze was upgraded to two-alarms. Firefighters continued their attack on the fire, which was quickly knocked down. Coutier said no one was in the building when the fire broke out and there were no injuries to firefighters. The fire caused some damage to the building’s attic and the sprinkler system that was activated by the blaze, Cloutier said. Cloutier said that some businesses in the mall will probably have to be closed today due to the damage, and fire officials are working this morning to contact business owners. Crews will remain on the scene this morning to ensure hot spots are out, and traffic in the area might be affected, Cloutier said.

Odessa, TX – Sprinkler system activates in fire at retail store in shopping mall

Odessa Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the At Home located at Music City Mall on Sunday night, which is now under investigation as possible arson. An auto sprinkler alarm notified OFR of the fire, which they responded to around 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Music City Mall, 4101 E. 42nd St, Odessa Spokeswoman Andrea Goodson said. Goodson said there is little detail available on the fire due to it being under investigation, but Goodson said it was contained fairly quickly and there were no injuries reported. An At Home employee said the store is currently open, but about half of the store is closed off due to the damage.

Casper, WY – Single sprinkler contains shopping mall restaurant fire until firefighters arrive

At approximately 12:00 AM Sunday morning, February 4th, Casper Fire-EMS responded to a fire alarm at the 600 block of Southeast Wyoming Boulevard, the Eastridge Mall. Firefighters say that they arrived and found a fire in a storage closet area of a restaurant in the building. The fire was accessed and extinguished a short time after arrival. There were no occupants of the building at the time of the fire.

No injuries were reported as a result. A cause is yet to be determined and remains under investigation. Prior to arrival of firefighters, a single head in the fire sprinkler system in the building activated. The action of the system controlled the fire until firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze. Officials say in a written statement to media, that the fire was contained to the storage area and damage was minimal. A value of damage to the building and contents has not been determined. 5 units of Casper Fire-EMS initially responded. They were assisted by Casper Police and the Wyoming Medical Center.

Casper Fire-EMS says that the fire illustrates the value of fire sprinkler systems. “The presence of the system in this case limited spread of the fire to other areas of the structure. What could have been a well-developed and growing fire was controlled in the area of origin until arrival of firefighters,” officials say in the written statement. “These systems represent an important life safety and property protection component of modern structures.

Woodstock, GA – Afternoon fire at video game store put out by sprinkler system

A video game store suffered interior damage following a fire reported late Friday morning in Woodstock. Firefighters with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services and Woodstock Fire & Rescue were dispatched to Max Video Games at 6424 Bells Ferry Road around 11:30 a.m. Jan. 12.  Firefighters arrived at the shopping mall located across from Walmart to find “light smoke coming out of the back” of the video store’s building, Cherokee County Fire said in a press release.

Those firefighters ventured inside the building to find the sprinkler system had been activated, which put out the fire, the agency added. Cherokee fire investigator Shane Daniel said the building suffered interior damage due to fire, smoke and water. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Max Video Games is the company that bought out Play N Trade and relocated its operations from 2290 Towne Lake Parkway to the shopping center at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Eagle Drive, according to a September 2014 post on its Facebook page.

As Patch readers recall, Play N Trade suffered a serious blow in September 2013 when a fire set during an armed robbery gutted a good portion of that business while it was housed at 2290 Eagle Drive. Play N Trade’s owner, Troy Brazelton, suffered second- and third-degree burns on his extremities due to the fire. Police offered a reward and interviewed witnesses related to that incident, but have not made an arrest in the case.  Return to Patch for updates.

 

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.