The Peachtree City Walmart has partially re-emerged from the ashes of a blazing inferno authorities said was set four months ago by a 14-year-old girl.
Hundreds of shoppers streamed in after the doors opened Wednesday morning for the reopening of portions of the big box retailer, including the grocery section, pharmacy, health and beauty products, toys and other household essentials.
Still closed off by dividers is the center of the store and certain sections including clothing, electronics, home goods, sporting equipment, automotive, hardware and gardening.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
While the store was closed in recent months, Peachtree City resident Ava Jordan started shopping at the Walmart in Newnan instead. Peachtree City is famed as a golf cart community, and Jordan liked to putter over to the store in hers.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
“One of the fun things I did with my grandkids was bring them here (on the golf cart) and they could buy stuff,” Jordan said. The Newnan store, about 9 miles west, however, requires a drive by car, which Jordan called “an inconvenience.”
The Aug. 24 fire forced shoppers and employees to evacuate at around 7 p.m. that evening, and continued burning overnight as firefighters fought the blaze until around 4 a.m. The fire caused extensive damage to the roof and interior of the store, charring shelves and melting merchandise.
Credit: Peachtree City Fire Department
Credit: Peachtree City Fire Department
No serious injuries were reported, but three police officers who helped evacuate the store were taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Investigators identified the 14-year-old as a suspect and obtained a search warrant for her home in Peachtree City. The girl, who has not been publicly named, admitted to starting the fire, police said.
Immediately after the fire, Walmart officials set up in the parking lot a makeshift pharmacy trailer they call “Big Blue,” staffed by store pharmacists, so customers could still pick up medications.
The store was set to reopen in February, but the company worked to reopen portions of the store this week for holiday shoppers.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
“People have been asking me for four months, “When is Walmart going to reopen?’” said Peachtree City Mayor Kim Learnard. After the fire, “I really learned the importance of this store in our community from our citizens. ... Of course they shopped at other stores for a while, but they really wanted to see this store reopen.”
About 50,000 square feet of the 200,000 square-foot roof was damaged and has been repaired, said store manager Brad Mink. Sprinklers set off by the fire also damaged much of the building.
During the closure, the store’s 300 employees worked at other Walmart locations. Many of them returned to the Peachtree City store in recent weeks to prepare for the reopening.
“They have replaced in this building almost every single piece of sheetrock,” Mink said. “We know that we still have a long way to go to get the rest of the store opened.”
More fixtures need to be built for the rest of the store, and merchandise has to be brought in. The full reopening is planned for next year, but a specific date hasn’t been set.
“This is gonna be a while,” Mink said.
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