Georgia Walmart fire appears to have been 'intentionally set,' police say
Peachtree City Walmart in Georgia suffers partial roof collapse after fire that may have been arson, officials say
Customers flee as fire breaks out at Georgia Walmart
Customers were seen rushing from a blaze inside a Walmart in Peachtree City, Georgia, on Wednesday, Aug. 24. (Credit: Christopher Thompson via Storyful)
A four-alarm fire at a Georgia Walmart store that sent panicked shoppers fleeing and led to a partial roof collapse appears to have been "intentionally set," investigators say.
The Peachtree City Police Department said three of its responding officers that went into the store in the city outside of Atlanta have been released from a local hospital after suffering smoke inhalation injuries.
"Preliminary investigation suggests the fire was intentionally set," police said in a Facebook post, noting that the Peachtree City Walmart has suffered "extensive damage to the interior and roof."
VIDEO SHOWS GEORGIA WALMART SHOPPERS FLEEING FIRE
The aftermath of the fire inside a Walmart store in Peachtree City, Georgia. (Peachtree City Police Department)
"There is no current timeline on when the store will be reopened," police added.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 92.64 | +0.14 | +0.15% |
Images released by police of the aftermath of the fire showed charred racks of food and merchandise.
AS INFLATION CUTS SPENDING, WALMART SWEETENS SAVINGS FOR SUBSCRIBERS
Customers are seen fleeing a fire inside a Walmart store in Peachtree City, Ga. (Christopher Thompson via Storyful)
Video taken from inside the store while the fire was developing also showed panicked shoppers making their way to its exits.
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No customers were injured in the fire at the Walmart in Peachtree City, Ga. (Peachtree City Police Department)
"While fighting the fire with a large amount of water, they report the structural members from the roof began to collapse on them, so the decision was made to back out and the incident commander made the decision to go defensive and fight the fire from the outside of the building," Peachtree City Fire Department Assistant Chief Will Harbin told Fox5 Atlanta.
As of Friday, no suspects have been identified in relation to the fire.