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Pierre
responders busy with winter fires
By Travis Gulbrandson
Capital
Journal Staff
Wednesday,
January 3, 2007
A small fire
broke out in Maurices at the Pierre Mall Tuesday afternoon, filling the store
with smoke. There were no injuries, and damages appeared to be minor.
The fire flared up in the store's women's rest room at approximately 4 p.m.
Assistant store manager Susie Emerson said she thought she smelled smoke. Two
customers entered the store at roughly the same time and said they smelled it,
too.
Emerson said the store's manager, Medora Wieser, then went in the back to
investigate the smoky smell.
Wieser said when she reached the rest room she found a pile of smouldering
debris on the floor.
"The ceiling fan's light fixture overheated and fell to the floor," Wieser said.
"The fire wasn't really that big."
Wieser was able to put out the fire herself, and the fire department was called
in to see if there was any further danger.
Although there was little fire damage, the white haze of smoke caused by the
fire was carried throughout the store in the ventilation system.
As a result, an effort was made to clear the smoke before it could seep in to
any merchandise.
The doors on the northwest side of the mall were opened and a fan was placed in
the doorway to help with ventilation. The large double doors on the east side of
the mall were opened as well to allow the smoke somewhere to go once the fan was
turned on.
Assistant Fire Chief Greg Baker, of the PFD, said many of the main entrances to
other stores in the mall were closed to avoid smoke damage.
Wieser said she did not think there would be much damage to the merchandise, as
the smoke was cleared out relatively quickly. She added the only real damage was
possibly in the back of the store.
However, Wieser said there were few items in the back storage areas because most
of the store's stock had been placed on the shelves for the Christmas shopping
season.
After the fire Wieser called the corporate office to let them know what
happened. She also called an electrician.
"They'll need to take a look back here and make sure everything is all right,"
Wieser said. "I'm just happy that no one was hurt."
Baker said the mall was not evacuated during or after the fire.
Story
by: Travis Gulbrandson
Capital Journal, Pierre, SD
www.capitaljournal.com
For more information about the
Pierre Fire
Department, e-mail the PFD
webmaster.
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