-Editorial
Calexico Firefighters responded the morning of March 18 to a commercial structure fire behind the Walmart store in Calexico, prompting the evacuation of all employees and customers.
Dispatch received a call at 10:05 a.m., and fire crews went to the site, where they were supported by the Holtville Fire Department.
Calexico Fire Chief Juan Contreras said units from Station One and Station Two, along with ambulance crews, arrived on scene to find flames fully involved in a cardboard box pallet compressor near the northwest corner of the building.
“One of the strong points is that the department was able to successfully catch two water supplies and put large amounts of water on the fire, bringing it down to a more controllable defensive attack,” Contreras said.
Public Works assisted by using a front loader to remove pallets from the structure, allowing crews to extinguish remaining spot fires. The department continued mop-up operations, targeting small fires in trash and debris in the area. Contreras thanked the public works department for their support in controlling the fire.
Contreras noted that Walmart employees had activated the store’s internal fire suppression system and attempted to use a fire hose from inside to control the flames. Smoke entered portions of the building, prompting officials to evacuate the entire store as a precaution.
Walmart reopened at 3 p.m. when it was determined that the building was safe to come back. Calexico police arrested a person later in the day suspected of starting the fire and will have its proper due process. Walmart employees assisted the police by reviewing the video surveillance.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire is believed to have been contained to the pallet area and the northwest corner of the building, with crews continuing to monitor for any remaining hotspots.
