Vallejo firefighters extinguish arson fire at Admiral Callaghan Target

VALLEJO – Vallejo firefighters put out a fire burning paper products inside the Target on Admiral Callaghan Lane on Saturday afternoon, which caused about $1 million in damage and will close the store for at least several days.

Investigators confirmed on Sunday that the fire was intentionally set and the fire department is working with Vallejo police to identify a suspect, according to Vallejo fire spokesperson Kevin Brown.

Vallejo fire Battalion Chief Matt Fenzl said that fire crews arrived at around 3 p.m. as employees and shoppers were evacuating and quickly located and extinguished the fire, which burned an area of the store that was about 20 by 30 feet.

Seven fire trucks and two ambulances responded to the 2-alarm fire as well as Vallejo police officers. Firefighters immediately stretched out hoses and connected to a nearby hydrant, extinguishing the fire within 10 minutes of arriving, Fenzl said.

Approximately 100 employees and shoppers were evacuated from the building. A Target employee suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation, according to Brown. The employee deployed a fire extinguisher which helped slow the fire's advance. The building’s sprinkler system also helped prevent the blaze from spreading more rapidly. 

Emergency medical technicians treated the injured employee on site with oxygen therapy. The employee recovered and declined transport to the hospital.

Target employees and staff conducted a fast and efficient evacuation of the store, Brown said. The fire department plans to request that the city council thank them for their efforts to protect shoppers and other staff members. 

The fire department’s investigation of the cause of the fire is still underway but Brown said Sunday it was confrimed to be arson.

Eyewitnesses said that an unidentified person ignited paper towels and the fire spread in the paper products section. 

Damages to the store's roof, interior and inventory is estimated to be$1 million.  The Solano County Public Health Department will inspect the damage to products in the store to determine if there is smoke contamination. Brown expects the store will be closed for several days if not longer, depending on the severity of the damage to the roof. 

Although the fire was extinguished quickly, it took much longer for crews to clear smoke from the building. “Most of our work is just getting this big balloon emptied out,” Fenzl said. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated to note that the fire was confirmed as arson on Sunday.