Retail Store, Salon Catch Fire In Citrus Heights
CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) -- A building at the Sunrise Marketplace mall caught fire in Citrus Heights Monday afternoon, shooting huge flames and spreading dark smoke into the sky.
The fire broke out shortly after 4 p.m. and was still burning several hours later as firefighters treated it with thousands of gallons of water. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department was the lead agency at the three-alarm blaze at 6304 Sunrise Boulevard near Greenback at the Tuesday Morning home accessories store. The salon next to it, Hoss Lee Academy, also was destroyed by the blaze.
Hoss Lee co-owner John Lockamy said he was working with several students when the fire started.
"We have hundreds of students that depend on us to provide an education," he told CBS13's Ron Jones. "It's pretty devastating."
The roof of the building starting collapsing as firefighters were on it, according to Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum of Sac Metro. Cockrum said 80 or so firefighters were working the blaze. He said no one was injured.
"We got everyone out and everyone off the roof and that's when we made the decision to go defensive," Cockrum said.
Cockrum said it would take several hours to put the fire out and mop up because merchandise and the fallen roof materials were fueling it.
Traffic was severely backed up in the busy intersection, and dozens of people huddled across the street from the fire to watch and take photos and video.
Shalimar Ford, the manager of a Pier 1 across the street, told CBS13 she could see the inside of Tuesday Morning fully engulfed in flames.
There were two clerks and six customers in the store when the fire started.
Tuesday Morning is a discount retailer specializing in home accessories. It's headquartered in Dallas. Hoss Lee Academy is a training salon founded by Hoss Lee and Lockamy.
Lockamy said the training salon would reopen.
"We're going to recover from this like the Phoenix from the ashes," he said, adding that they hope to reopen at a different location sometime next week.
Reached over the phone, a vice president for Tuesday Morning also vowed to rebuild.
"We are thankful there was no loss of life," Ross Manning said. "Physical things can be replaced. We will rebuild in Citrus Heights."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
