An escalator fire last night at Macy's in the Mall at Northgate in Terra Linda left firefighters scrambling to turn off sprinklers to prevent water damage to merchandise.
San Rafael firefighters were called at 9:41 p.m. and arrived to find that a sprinkler inside the escalator had extinguished the fire.
But Division Chief Brian Waterbury said they had a difficult time turning the sprinkler off and reaching store officials who could help with the task.
"I'm worried about all the water getting on the floor and damaging the merchandise," he said.
Macy's employee Kristen Cincotta, 21, of Marinwood, was inside the store when the lights on the second floor turned off.
A moment later flames appeared out of the escalator leading from the first to the second floor, she said. Cincotta said she contacted store security and, on the way out, saw water start coming out of the escalator on the second floor.
"I'm pretty sure the clothes are gone up there," she said.
From the Marin IJ | |
Saturday, February 4, 2012