Category Archives: Shopping Mall

Retail, Shopping Mall

Oneonta, NY – Fire at Southside Mall contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system contained a fire in a service room at Southside Mall early Wednesday morning, officials said. The flames were extinguished and the mall was open as usual.

Crews went to the rear side of the main mall building at about 4 a.m. after responding to multiple alarms at the property reported by an alarm company through Otsego County 911, Oneonta Fire Department officials said, and crews were at the mall minutes later.

Oneonta crews put out flames in a small area of a service room in the main building at the mall on state Route 23 in the town of Oneonta, said Fire Chief Patrick Pidgeon.

Pidgeon said no one was hurt and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Upon responding, crews checked buildings on the mall property and found water coming out of a doorway in the back of the main mall structure, Pidgeon said. Three sprinkler heads in the service room had provided sufficient water to suppress the blaze so that crews were able to enter the building and service room, he said, and crews used a fire extinguisher with water to put out flames that were showing.

Southside Mall was open as usual, according to Luisa Montanti, general manager at the mall. The fire was in a stock room, sprinkler heads were replaced and the electrical panels were being checked, she said.

“It was a small incident,” Montanti said. She expressed gratitude that the sprinkler system worked and for the quick response of the Oneonta Fire Department.

Oneonta crews were back in service after the fire at about 6:15 a.m., officials said.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Brampton, ON, Canada – Shopping mall fire held in check by sprinkler system; Fire started in clothes dryer

Two burnt towels in a clothes dryer started a fire that forced the evacuation of a Brampton shopping mall on Thursday morning (Jan. 5), according to Brampton Fire and Emergency Services officials. A sprinkler kept the fire in check at Royal Crest Mall, at 50 Kennedy Rd. S., according to firefighters; but a significant amount of smoke was generated.  Firefighters were called at 10:20 a.m., with reports of smoke coming from the mall at Clarence Street.  Five trucks and a district chief initially responded, but the first alarm was quickly upgraded to a second alarm in response to the heavy smoke. Three more trucks and a platoon chief responded.  The mall was evacuated, and a Brampton Transit bus kept evacuees out of the cold. Tenants and shoppers were allowed to return after the smoke was cleared.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Miami, FL – Sprinkler system helps prevent shopping mall fire from spreading

A sprinkler system played a role in containing a fire that took place Monday night at Ultra Mall in downtown Miami. The fire started at about 10 p.m. in the 1100 block of Southwest First Avenue.   Smoke was  coming from the storefront of Flossie’s — a store that sells items such as incense, oils, candles and books — when firefighters arrived.

Miami Department of Fire-Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll said a sprinkler system contained the fire to a small area and prevented it from spreading to neighboring businesses.  “A small fire was located inside of the store and was quickly extinguished,” he said.   No injuries were reported.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Retail, Shopping Mall

Phoenix, AZ – No injuries as sprinkler system knocks down fire at Guitar Center

The sprinkler system was the hero of the day after a fire broke out at a Guitar Center off of I-17 and Peoria Avenue overnight Wednesday. 

Phoenix fire officials said sprinklers put out most of the flames before crews arrived. 

The Guitar Center has water damage, but fire officials said had the sprinklers not been in place, the story could have gone much differently.

The Guitar Center doesn’t have a fire wall, meaning the flames could have easily spread to surrounding businesses in the strip mall.

Luckily, no one was injured. 

Detectives will now investigate what cased the fire to break out. 

Retail, Shopping Mall

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinklers assist firefighters in containing wood pallet fire at shopping mall

The smell of smoke may have alarmed some Boulevard Mall workers and shoppers early today. Turns out, it was a few wood pallets burning in one of the stores shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday, according to Clark County Assistant Fire Chief Larry Haydu. Ten units responded to the call at 8:57 a.m. and the first arriving engine found the small fire within three minutes and quickly extinguished it. Battalion 2 reported there was some smoke intrusion into approximately four stores and there was some water damage caused to the structure when the fire sprinkler system activated. There were no reported injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Fire in shopping mall food court extinguished by sprinkler system

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is investigating the cause of a fire in the food court at City Place early Tuesday morning. Firefighters were called to the City Place mall at 234 Donald Street just before 1:45 a.m.  An official with the fire department said the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire before crews arrived, but there was a lot of smoke that had to be removed from the area.

The food court is open.  Manchu Wok, where the fire appears to have occurred, has cracked glass and smoke damage.  There were no injuries.  There is no damage estimate at this time.

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.

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. 

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.

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.