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Georgia Teen Arrested For Fire Inside Walmart

Blaine August 31st

According to WSB-TV, a Georgia teen has been arrested for setting a fire inside a Walmart in Peachtree City, Georgia.  The first broke out in the Walmart last Wednesday just after 7 p.m. During the incident, part of the roof collapsed and 3 officers were injured.

Fire Inside The Store

The fire took over most of the retail section of the Fayette County store. And when the roof started to collapse, firefighters had to battle the blaze from outside.  No firefighters were injured.  The injured police officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but have been released. Emergency responders and Walmart employees were able to safely get all of the customers out of the store and none were injured.

The fire took hours to be put out, with firefighters from Peachtree City, Coweta County, Fayetteville, and Fayette County all working together.  They finished up around 4 a.m. last Thursday morning.  Extensive damage was done to the interior and roof of the store.

Arrest Made

As of this morning, WSB-TV reports a 14-year-old girl has been arrested and charged with arson.  Her name has not been released.

Raw bodycam footage shows when police arrived at the store and began evacuation.

Bodycam video shows moment police arrived at Peachtree City Walmart fire

Bodycam video shows moment police arrived at Peachtree City Walmart fire----- LEO Round Table Someone may have intentionally set a fire at a Walmart Supercenter in Peachtree City on Wednesday evening, according to authorities.Police are investigating preliminary indications that the blaze, which forced shoppers and employees to evacuate, was an act of arson, the Peachtree City Police Department announced in a news release Thursday afternoon.The fire raged for hours overnight at the big box store at 2717 Ga. 54, drawing resources from fire departments in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Fayette County and Coweta County before it was contained. The fire was finally extinguished around 4 a.m. Thursday, city officials said.No one was seriously injured, but portions of the store’s interior were gutted and there was extensive damage to the roof. The store was closed Thursday and will remain shut down indefinitely. Police said there is not a timeline for when it will reopen.Heavy smoke was billowing from the rear of the building when the first crews arrived shortly after 7:20 p.m., according to Wil Harbin, assistant chief of Peachtree City Fire Rescue.Crews entered through the rear and encountered heavy flames in the retail area of the store. They battled the fire for several minutes until trusses from the collapsing roof began falling to the ground around them, Harbin said.That’s when the firefighters backed off and crews began using tower ladders to attack the flames.Police also refuted rumors that firefighters had an issue with insufficient water pressure while battling the blaze. Officials noted in Thursday’s release that the store’s sprinkler system worked properly during the ordeal.Cellphone video shared with Channel 2 Action News showed huge flames licking the ceiling tresses as the store filled with thick, black smoke and employees ushered shoppers outside. Three Peachtree City police officers who helped with the evacuation were treated for smoke inhalation at Fayette Piedmont Hospital, Harbin said. They were released later in the evening.Police are asking anyone inside the store when the fire started who may have witnessed “suspicious behavior” to come forward.

Posted by Thisisbutter on Friday, August 26, 2022

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