What caused the second Merced Thrift Center fire? Here’s what we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Welding sparks ignited debris, causing second fire at Merced Thrift Center.
- Merced Fire Department ruled the Aug. 21 fire accidental in investigation.
- Store remains closed since first fire on June 9; no injuries reported.
A welding contractor working to secure the building, inadvertently lit a pile of combustible material that started the second fire in two months at the Merced Thrift Center on Thursday, Aug. 21, according to Merced Fire Chief Casey Wilson.
The fire, determined to be accidental, started when welding sparks ignited debris that had not yet been cleared from the building.
“Unfortunately, some sparks got into the combustible materials there and that’s what started the fire,” Wilson said of the Aug. 21 fire at the 1346 W. Main St. store.
The cause of the first fire, which occurred on June 9, remains undetermined, he said.
No one was injured in either fire. The store has remained closed since the initial fire.