Faulty equipment causes smoke scare at Salem Dollar General store
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Firefighters responded to a Dollar General store Tuesday morning after employees reported smoke inside the building.
According to Salem Volunteer Fire Department officials, the call came in at approximately 10:00 a.m. Engine 511, Tanker 512 and Rescue 520 responded to the scene along with four volunteer firefighters.
Upon arrival, crews began searching the store to determine the source of the smoke. Firefighters eventually located a faulty heater situated above a refrigeration unit.
Image: Salem Volunteer Fire Department
An HVAC specialist responded to the store and disconnected the malfunctioning equipment, eliminating the source of the smoke.
Firefighters then used a gas-powered ventilation fan to remove smoke from the building and help restore normal conditions inside the store.
Units remained on scene for more than two hours before clearing the incident at approximately 12:20 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
The incident comes one day after firefighters responded to the same Dollar General location for reports of smoke inside the store. During Monday night’s response, crews found light smoke inside the building but were unable to locate a fire or heat source despite an extensive search using thermal imaging cameras. Tuesday’s investigation determined the smoke was being caused by the faulty heater above the refrigeration unit.
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