Beavercreek Walmart reopens after solar panel fire

BEAVERCREEK — UPDATE @3:30 a.m. (March 16)

The Beavercreek Walmart Supercenter has reopened.

The store reopened Thursday after passing inspections, according to a store associate.

Solar panels on the roof of the building caught fire March 7. No one was injured.

UPDATE @ 4:20 p.m. (March 13)

The Beavercreek Walmart Supercenter remains closed after solar panels caught fire Wednesday afternoon on the roof of the building at 3360 Pentagon Blvd.

>> PHOTO GALLERY: Fire at Beavercreek Walmart

A store associate this afternoon said, “We don’t have any set date to reopen” and would not indicate how long it may take.

UPDATE @ 10:15 p.m. (March 8)

The Beavercreek Walmart store will remain closed at least through Monday or Tuesday after solar panels caught fire Wednesday afternoon on the roof of the building at 3360 Pentagon Blvd.

UPDATE @ 7 p.m.

A shopper said he was inside the Beavercreek Walmart Supercenter this afternoon when solar panels caught fire on the roof.

“I was just in there shopping. The next thing I knew they told us to evacuate,” Ray Abling of Fairborn said.

He and his wife left their cart behind and headed out of the store. He said staff didn’t say what was going on, but that no one panicked.

“When I got out to my van I looked up and seen that smoke, somewhere out back. … It was billowing black … there was a lot of smoke,” he said.

Beavercreek Twp. Fire officials said they’re waiting on Vectren to check gas lines, and Dayton Power & Light to check electric wires, that were damaged in the fire that brought crews from three departments.

UPDATE @ 4:30 p.m.

Solar panels caught fire this afternoon on the roof of the Beavercreek Walmart Supercenter.

Crews were called around 4 p.m. to the store at 3360 Pentagon Blvd. Smoke and fire could be seen coming from the roof of the store.

MUST SEE: Flames erupt from Beavercreek Walmart MUST SEE: Flames erupt from Beavercreek Walmart

Walmart and nearby stores were evacuated, but adjacent stores were able to resume business after it was determined the fire only affected Walmart.

Vectren was called to shut off gas and Dayton Power & Light was called to shut off electric to the store.

A light smoke haze was reported inside the store, according to scanner reports.

FIRST REPORT

The Beavercreek Walmart is on fire this afternoon.

The fire was reported around 4 p.m.

Our Storm Center 7 weather camera showed fire coming from the roof of the building.

Initial reports are that everyone has been evacuated from the building.

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