Early morning fire

at Big Lots in Boone
By Melanie Davis
Melanie@mountaintimes.com

Officers of the Boone Police Department responded to a burglar alarm at the Big Lots in New Market Centre just after 7:30 Wednesday morning and discovered large amounts of smoke at the rear of the building.

Members of the Boone Fire Department were called to scene and arrived in less than 10 minutes. The store's fire alarm went off four minutes after their arrival.

Twelve firefighters, with two pump trucks and one squad car, contained the fire within 20 minutes. The blaze was limited to the loading and storage area only.

Firefighters were assisted by a sprinkler system; however, merchandise had to be moved to access the fire and assure it was completely extinguished.

Boone Fire Chief Reggie Hassler said the cause of the fire is unknown at this time and remains under investigation. Hassler indicated that the burglar alarm, which has motion sensors, was believed to have been activated by smoke, not by an individual.

The building suffered damage estimated to be between $10,000 and $15,000. A large quantity of merchandise, estimated at $50,000, was lost.

The store was closed Wednesday. It is unclear how long the business will stay closed. Attempts to reach the corporate office were unsuccessful as of press time.

One truck and four members of the Blowing Rock Fire Department were called to Boone station 2 to be on standby in case more assistance was needed at Big Lots, or another fire occurred in Boone.

Watauga Medics was also on standby, but no injuries were reported.