MUSCLE SHOALS–Saturday night was full of excitement at the Muscle Shoals Walmart for employees and customers alike. Around 8:00 pm one of the refrigerator trucks exploded behind the building sending flames and smoke high into the air.
One employee tells the Shoals Insider some looting did occur in the confusion of the mass exit, “Customers were just walking out with stuff that wasn’t paid for,”
“It was mass confusion. Someone came screaming from the back, Call 911! Call 911!” said one assistant manager.
Muscle Shoals Fire & Rescue quickly arrived and got the fire under control said witnesses who saw the event unfold.
“Luckily, no one was hurt and we were able to quickly get it under control before it got out of hand,” said Muscle Shoals Fire Chief Tim McMullins.
One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said the fire appeared to have started in the refrigeration unit on the truck, “It just escalated from there, but it could have been a lot worse,”
“From all outward appearance, the fire and damage was contained to the truck itself. Luckily we had a wind out of the South that prevented the smoke and flames from hitting the building,” said Captain Greg Kennedy of the Muscle Shoals Fire Department.
During the evacuation, one customer was overheard telling an employee they hadn’t paid for theĀ items in the buggy. The employee told them, “Don’t worry about it. We would rather have you safe,”
Jeff Roland
ShoalsInsider.com – Keeping You Informed