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Aug 03, 2023

Leeds Walmart reopens after fire set in women’s clothing section

Joseph Carson and Isaac Burch went to Leeds Walmart to get Kayla’s baby food. They called us to tell us that someone had lit the women’s bras on fire. Someone had also said that it was a distraction

Joseph Carson and Isaac Burch went to Leeds Walmart to get Kayla’s baby food. They called us to tell us that someone had lit the women’s bras on fire. Someone had also said that it was a distraction to steal stuff but don’t know this for a fact. Video was taken by isaac.

An Alabama Walmart reopened Sunday following an apparent arson incident that created a sizeable fire inside the store on Saturday.

The Walmart at 8551 Whitfield Ave. in Leeds announced via Facebook on Sunday morning that it would be “closed until further notice.” It reopened at noon, according to a company update.

Though the initial post about the shutdown did not go into detail, witnesses reported that someone had apparently set a fire in the women’s clothing department the evening before.

A video shot by Isaac Burch and shared on social media showed a fire that seemed to be consuming a single rack of clothing. Though the view of the fire was partly obscured, an employee appeared to be using a fire extinguisher to put it out. However, a large column of smoke had risen from it.

Leeds Fire Marshal Adam Courington said that three units had responded to the call, which came at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. A single rack of clothing was involved, he said, and “by the time we got there the fire was already out.” One or more employees had put it out before the building’s sprinklers activated, he said.

Courington said there was no structural damage to the building. But merchandise was affected by smoke damage, he said, including produce that would have to be removed. Police and fire officials were investigating jointly, he said.

Some witnesses who posted about the incident on social media speculated that the fire had been set as a distraction from shoplifting activity.

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