At approximately 1800 hours on November 16, 2007 the Grand Rapids, MI Fire Department received a mutual aid request from the East Grand Rapids (EGR) Department of Public Safety for a reported structure fire at the D&W Supermarket at 2181 Wealthy Street SE.  This particular market has a footprint of approximately 40,000 square feet and serves as an anchor store for several other small businesses in a strip mall.  The fire was initially reported by shoppers who smelled smoke in the rear of the store but could not identify a cause.  Store management then investigated and found heavy smoke starting to pour from the rear of an open meat case/cooler filling both the store area as well as a storage room behind the cooler.  They called for the fire department and began to evacuate the store. 

Upon arrival, personnel from EGR reported moderately heavy smoke conditions inside the store and made the mutual aid request.  Firefighters from both agencies worked their way toward the back of the store and discovered some small “spot fires” within the meat case itself, but found that the bulk of the fire had been extinguished by two activated sprinkler heads.  What little fire remained was extinguished with one 1-3/4” handline.  The sprinkler system was then shut down and ventilation of the structure began. 

Ultimately it was determined that a seized fan motor within the cooler itself had started the blaze.  The fire moved upward consuming product as well as the plastic shelving and structure of the cooler.  Flames then spread up the back wall above the cooler and had just started to breach the ceiling and enter the space above when the sprinklers activated and extinguished the fire.  Crews checked for extension beyond the immediate area of origin and found none.  The fire was officially reported out around 1630 hours. 

The most amazing part of this story involves the store’s recovery time.  Store employees, cleaning crews, and health department officials were called in immediately upon the fire department’s departure.  They worked through the night and had the store cleaned, wall & ceiling repaired, sprinkler system restored, product re-shelved, and a new cooler being wired in place by 0800 the next morning.  The story reopened for business at 1030 the morning after the fire.  Considering the hours of the store were normally 0600-1100, this translates to a loss of only 9.5 hours of sales time.