Suspicious fire in toilet paper aisle closes Mission Superstore

Police say a fire broke out in the toilet paper aisle of a Real Canadian Superstore in Mission Tuesday night.

In a report Wednesday, the Mission RCMP says officers and Mission Fire Rescue Services arrived at the grocery store shortly before closing time around 11 p.m.

“A fire started in the toilet paper aisle. Smoke from the fire quickly spread throughout the store, and the sprinkler system was activated,” Mounties said.

Assistant Fire Chief Ian Glasgow tells 1130 NewsRadio that when crews first reached the scene they experienced “heavy smoke conditions in the store, staff had evacuated.”

He says employees at the superstore used six fire extinguishers on the fire but weren’t able to control it. The fire then started to reach the top of the shelves and “eventually activated one of the sprinklers on top of the aisle, which aided the in control of the fire.”

Corp. Harrison Mohr of the Mission RCMP said the damage is “widespread and significant throughout the store, and that it is likely to remain closed for a prolonged period.”

He says investigators will review CCTV footage of the store Wednesday, and though no suspects have been identified yet, police believe the fire was set intentionally.

“However further investigation is needed before that can be confirmed,” Mounties said.

Police say all customers and employees exited the store safely, though some suffered minor smoke inhalation. Mohr says no one required hospitalization.

Glasgow says fire crews would usually recommend not attempting to put out a fire like that with an extinguisher because they are typically for incipient fires.

“If the fire has left the item of fire origin, so it is extended into surrounding materials or if the fire is, let’s say, as big as a person, we would recommend not attempting to put it down,” he said.

Anyone who was at or around Superstore Tuesday night and witnessed anything suspicious or related to the fire is asked to call the Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161.