Was anyone injured in the Target Buena Park fire? Details explored as store evacuated due to flames

A Target in Buena Park, California, was emptied on Tuesday, September 5, after the children's section caught fire. Shoppers were evacuated as the fire burned a few clothing items before quickly spreading to the ceiling and other objects.

Orange County Fire Authority and Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded to the flames at around 7:15 pm but the fire had mostly been extinguished by the building's sprinkler system by then. No injuries have been reported by authorities until now.

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The Buena Park Target fire did not result in any reported injuries

On Tuesday evening, September 5, a small fire broke out in the children's department of a Target store located at 7530 Orangethorpe Avenue in Buena Park. Employees and shoppers had to be evacuated immediately. A shopper captured video of the flames consuming a single rack in the children's department.

Guillermo Santander, who was shopping with his daughter at the Target store, told Fox 11 News:

"We walked into the Target, we see the small flame, we thought it was a you know, Halloween prop."

He added:

"As we got closer we heard a pop which was the sprinkler going off and then all of a sudden the flame got bigger so I started recording. We walked around a couple of racks and then we realized that it was clothing that was on fire."

Before the fire could spread throughout the store, an employee grabbed a fire extinguisher and assisted in putting out the flames. Just after 7:00 p.m., the Orange County Fire Authority and Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded to the flames, only to find out that the fire had already been extinguished by the store's inbuilt emergency sprinkler system, and all that was left of the blaze was some haze and smoke.

Nobody was reportedly injured, and all shoppers and employees were safely evacuated. However, the building did sustain fire, smoke, and water damage, as did the products at the store, which were mostly clothes.

It is unclear what caused the blaze, but it has been labeled "suspicious". Arson investigators have started their investigation into the matter, with the police also arriving at the scene soon after.

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This is not the first Target store to catch fire this year

On July 5, police arrested 31-year-old Daniel Hull for setting the diaper aisle at the Mesa-area Target store on fire on June 27. In another isolated incident, an arsonist started a fire inside the Target store at Serramonte Center. The incident resulted in a significant loss of floor stock for the retailer.

The same month, a Sacramento Target outlet also caught fire. The fire broke out in the makeup area at the back of the store, located on J Street, and was labeled a probable arson attack. Nobody was injured, and both employees and shoppers were safely evacuated, but the outlet was closed for two weeks to restock and fix damages.

CBS13 later reported that a possible suspect linked to the Sacramento store blaze had been arrested. It is alleged that the fire was set as a distraction to allow shoplifters to steal products from the store.

A spokesperson for Sacramento Metro Fire, Parker Wilbourn told the outlet:

"This is organized crime. They have a premeditated plan: where they're going to go, how they're going to start the fire, and what they're going to take from the store."

Wilbourn also noted that the number of such shopliftings assisted by fire distractions is on the rise. If a person damages property or steals goods worth $950, it's a misdemeanor, but anything more is a felony. Fire distractions also lead to arson and vandalism charges.