Citrus Heights Store Destroyed In Fire Did Not Have Sprinklers

CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) – As the cleanup begins in Citrus Heights where a massive fire destroyed two stores, investigators are moving closer to finding how the blaze got such a head start.

The three-alarm blaze broke out shortly before 4:00 p.m. Monday and destroyed a Tuesday Morning home accessories store and the Hoss Lee Academy, a training salon, next door.

Early Tuesday morning crews showed up to what was left of the Tuesday Morning store and Hoss Lee Academy to begin the long clean-up process.

Crews worked outside while waiting for a structural engineer to check-out the "red-tagged" building to see if it is even safe to enter. If not, the building may have to be torn down.

Fire investigators also began picking through the rubble at the shopping center trying pinpoint where the fire started. However, they already know the answer to how the fire spread so quickly.

"This building actually does not have a sprinkler system in it," said Sac Metro Fire Asst. Chief Scott Cockrum.

It took more than 80 fire fighters several hours to battle the blaze which quickly spread from the Tuesday Morning store to The Hoss Lee Academy unchecked by sprinklers.

"Is it possible they weren't up to code then?" CBS13's Nick Janes asked.

"We don't want to say that; we don't know, hopefully in the next day or two we'll have some of that information," said Cockrum.

Investigators believe they've narrowed down where the fire started. They believe it sparked in a back room at Tuesday Morning where there is a lot of electrical equipment including water heaters. Samples collected today will be sent off for testing to determine the exact cause.

Between the destroyed merchandise at Tuesday Morning and the damage done to the building itself, damage is now estimated at $2 million.

The owners of Hoss Lee Academy hope to re-open in a different location sometime next week.

Tuesday Morning officials say they will rebuild in Citrus Heights.