Trash Fire at Glendale Galleria Blamed on Hot Cigarette Ashes
A fire that erupted inside a men’s clothing store near the center of the Glendale Galleria on Saturday night was apparently caused by hot cigarette ashes inadvertently dumped into a waste basket full of paper, officials said.
Officials said it was fortunate that the blaze in The Man’s Store near the clock tower of the mall broke out at 7:30 p.m. It was 30 minutes after most stores had closed for the evening and shoppers had gone home.
It was unfortunate, however, that the fire--in a waste basket beneath a cash register--was not detected sooner.
“If it had been an hour earlier, someone would have taken a cup of water and put it out themselves,” said Glendale Fire Department Capt. Craig Moore.
Instead, flames, smoke and water from firefighters’ hoses caused more than $300,000 in damage to The Man’s Store, which is on the second level of the mall, said John Orr, an arson investigator with the Glendale Fire Department.
In addition, two stores directly beneath The Man’s Store suffered $100,000 in damage attributed to water seeping from above, Orr said.
No injuries were reported, although firefighters and security officers evacuated dozens of straggling shoppers, Orr said.
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