A grocery store in far North Fort Worth is currently closed for repairs following a fire that broke out Thursday night. The incident forced the evacuation of the H-E-B location situated on Heritage Trace Parkway.
The Fort Worth Fire Department received a call just after 8 p.m. regarding the blaze. Responding units were informed by contractors inside the building that they had heard a loud bang and subsequently seen flames erupt while working on refrigerant lines. These workers attempted to extinguish the initial fire using portable extinguishers before emergency crews arrived.
By the time firefighters reached the scene, the flames had moved to the rear of the structure. Fire officials stated that an aggressive response from the first arriving units, combined with the building's automatic fire suppression system, helped bring the blaze under control within approximately 15 minutes. The physical damage was limited to the back corner of the facility.
Despite the quick containment of the flames, smoke filled the 128,000-square-foot building. To address the air quality, large fans were deployed to ventilate the interior. The incident was escalated to a three-alarm fire due to the size of the structure and the necessity of searching for any shoppers who might have been affected by the smoke.
Mabrie Jackson, a representative for H-E-B, confirmed that the fire was electrical in nature and started in a meat case. She stated that the store will remain closed to allow for cleaning and the removal of any products affected by the fire or smoke. The store's drive-through pharmacy will continue to operate during regular business hours.
