A Target store had to be evacuated and closed in Buena Park after a suspicious fire broke out in the children’s section Tuesday night, authorities said.
Orange County firefighters responded to the blaze at 7530 Orangethorpe Ave. at about 7:15 p.m.
Crews arrived to find a hazy, smoky scene and discovered the fire had already been extinguished, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Erik Miranda said.
The sprinkler system had been activated and a video showed a Target employee also helped put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher.
The video showed flames bursting toward the ceiling from a children’s clothing rack.
“There are some items that were burned,” Miranda said.
The store was open at the time, prompting dozens of employees and shoppers to evacuate the building.
“We thought it was a Halloween prop,” witness Guillermo Santander said. “All of a sudden the flame got bigger, so I started recording … It got pretty big real quick.”
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Arson investigators later examined the area and deemed the fire “suspicious.” The cause was under investigation.
Target has recently been in the public eye over its Pride Month marketing and its decision to remove some LGBTQ+ products in response to critics.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Fire Authority investigators at 714-573-6000.
