Paint spews from cans after fire breaks out at Menards

Fire broke out in the paint department at the Menards in Wixom on Tuesday, causing dozens of paint cans to spew product throughout that area of the store.

Wixom Fire Chief Jeff Roberts said an employee who spotted the fire in a rack holding cans of paint activated the fire alarm shortly before 11 a.m., which triggered the fire suppression system to keep the flames at bay until firefighters arrived to fully extinguish them.

Wixom police evacuated the store’s customers and employees while fire crews drew hoses through the front and rear doors. No injuries were reported.

The heat caused the affected cans to release paint through their pressure relief valves, Roberts explained.

The store remained closed Tuesday for cleanup but was back in business Wednesday.

Roberts said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but he doesn’t suspect foul play.

“There’s nothing that leads me to believe it was intentional. Nothing seems suspicious,” Roberts said.

He described the incident as “truly unique” and which demonstrated the effectiveness of properly-operating fire suppression systems which “save lives and property.”

“In my 28 years with the city, I can count on one hand how many times a fire suppression system activated to this level. It was purely fortunate because of its design and how it worked properly,” Roberts said.

He added that it’s a good opportunity to remind the public that smoke detectors save lives.

“Michigan has been in the top five states in the last several years for fire fatalities,” Roberts said. “So check on your neighbors and make sure your smoke detectors are operating properly.

A representative from the Wixom store couldn’t be reached prior to publication time.