Updated: The Roseville Fire Department responded to a multi-alarm fire on Tuesday, July 11, at the Ross clothing store in the Roseville Square shopping center off Douglas Boulevard.
Quick work from Roseville firefighters and other responding agencies are currently preventing the three-multi-alarm blaze from spreading to adjacent stores in the Roseville Square retail center. The center contains about two dozen shops, restaurants and other businesses.
Fire agencies from Sacramento Metro, Placer County/CDF, Newcastle, Penryn, Auburn, Folsom, Rocklin, Loomis and South Placer responded to the scene to assist the Roseville Fire Department. More than 50 firefighters, 17 fire engines, 4 ladder trucks, and 3 ambulances were on the scene. Roseville Police Department officers closed nearby streets and diverted traffic away from the scene.
The fire was first reported at 10:56 a.m. Traffic was diverted from nearby streets adjacent to the shopping center, including Harding and Douglas boulevards and Folsom Road. Stores in the Roseville Square center adjacent to the Ross business were ordered evacuated by Roseville fire officials.
One firefighter sustained heat exhaustion. There were no other immediate reports of serious injuries and no residential evacuations were ordered.
Thick black smoke could be seen from several blocks away rising from the department store for about an hour before firefighters were able to contain the blaze. The fire was contained to the Ross store at about 12:40 p.m.
The building, built in 1962, was approximately 24, 000 square feet. Fire damage was contained to the department store. The Dress Barn tenant space directly adjacent to Ross received water damage. The balance of the strip mall was unharmed.
It appears that workers were welding at the rear of the Ross store just prior to the fire. Fire investigators were able to determine that the welding operation was the cause of the fire.
