Saturday, Jun. 13, 2009

Morning fire closes Bi-Lo in Northeast Richland

A 9:30 a.m. fire at the Super Bi-Lo in the Village at Sandhill in Northeast Richland has shut down the store this morning, according to Columbia Deputy Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins.

Firefighters are busy clearing smoke out of the store and investigators are trying to determine what started the fire, which was contained to a corner of the stock room, Jenkins said.

He said customers and employees were evacuated from the store after the fire started. No one was injured in the inident.

Firefighters arrived within seven minutes, but a sprinkler system already had activated and put the fire out, Jenkins said.

“We didn’t have to apply any water,” he said.

Five fire trucks from the City of Columbia and Richland County responded to the scene. The Richland County Fire Marshall’s office is investigating, Jenkins said, and the cause is unknown. He said the fire was in an area with heavy equipment.

The store is closed until further notice.

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