Article: Incendiary fire at department store causes $2 million loss

MERCANTILE

WASHINGTON-Someone using an open-flame device intentionally set fire to a rack of women's clothing in a large department and grocery store before leaving the premises. Employees used portable fire extinguishers to control the blaze until the store was safely evacuated.

The one-story, steel-frame big box store covered an area of approximately 220,350 square feet (20,471 square meters) and had a steel-truss roof, concrete block walls, and a high ceiling. A central station alarm company monitored the store's fire detection system, which used beam detectors. The store also had a wetpipe sprinkler system.

The fire in the display was set at approximately 9:00 p.m. A manager alerted to ...

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