TUCSON, ARIZONA -- The Tucson Fire Department responded to a fire inside the Safeway at 8:08 p.m. located in the 1900 block of East Broadway Blvd. Friday evening. Multiple calls were made to 911 reporting the fire inside the Safeway and the first TFD unit on scene confirmed heavy smoke coming from the store as they pulled into the parking lot.
Initial reports were that an employee noticed the fire and another employee tried to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher. This slowed the growth of the fire dramatically.
Fire alarms were sounding with employees and patrons evacuating the store as additional TFD crews arrived on scene. A second alarm was called by command upon arrival due to the size of the building, which would bring additional personnel to the scene.
Firefighters pulled hose lines into the store to locate the fire and extinguish the flames. Firefighters did locate the fire in a particular aisle and were able to extinguish the flames. The sprinkler system had also activated which kept the fire from growing.
Once the flames were initially extinguished at 8:35 p.m., efforts were made to begin ejecting as much residual smoke from the building as possible. High powered fans were put in place to blow smoke out of the building, reducing smoke damage. Firefighters also continued to ensure the fire didn’t spread into the ceiling of the building with crews making their way to the roof with thermal imaging cameras.
Nine TFD units consisting of 25 firefighters were involved in the initial dispatch and most of the second alarm units were able to cancel before being utilized on scene. Approximately 15 employees 30 patrons evacuated the store safely. Fire investigators were on scene working to determine the cause and origin of the fire. Building Safety/Code Enforcement and the Health Department were also called to the scene to assist Safeway.
Origin, cause of fire and damage estimates are still to be determined.