Merced Thrift Store catches fire for second time this summer. Here’s what we know
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- Merced Thrift Center caught fire again Thursday, second blaze since early June.
- Firefighters contained flames to building; structural damage raised safety risks.
- Fire cause under review; arson not suspected; public urged to avoid smoke exposure.
A fire broke out at the Merced Thrift Center for the second time in just over two months, on Thursday afternoon.
“This is a structure we’re very familiar with,” Merced Fire Chief Casey Wilson said. “We had a fire here back in early June. This time, the contents that were still remaining in the building were mainly on fire.”
The thrift store, at 1346 W. Main St.had not reopened since the initial fire on June 9, according to a Facebook post.
The fire department’s priority was preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings, Wilson said.
“We were successfully able to do that, but we’re still working to keep the fire under control,” he said.
Wilson said the vacant building’s structural integrity was compromised from the June 9 fire.
“It’s rather dangerous,” he said. “There’s a lot of structural members that are hanging down in the building, and it’s creating some hazards for our folks.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Wilson did say that arson was not suspected at this time.
“We are going to continue the investigation, but we’re fairly certain we know how the fire started. We don’t want to release that yet because the investigation is ongoing,” he said.
The Merced Fire Department is asking residents to avoid the 1300 Block of W Main Street area. Additionally, winds are pushing “a heavy amount of smoke” south of the building.
“We don’t want folks to breathe in that smoke,” Wilson said. “So, if they can avoid that, stay indoors for your health.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 5:19 PM.