Fire guts Atwater candle store

Fire gutted a candle store in Atwater early Sunday, according to Merced County firefighters.

Flames were reported around 7:15 a.m. at the business in the 1100 block of Bellevue Road, Battalion Chief Jeremy Rahn said.

Rahn said the fire apparently ignited when at least one candle was left burning overnight at the store.

The fire caused about $10,000 in damage to the store, but, Rahn said, fire-suppression sprinklers managed to keep the fire at bay, allowing firefighters to prevent it from spreading to neighboring businesses in the strip mall.

Rahn said the suppression system helped save about $750,000 in property threatened by the fire in the complex. “It’s a good example of how those sprinklers can help,” Rahn said.

Fourteen firefighters responded to the scene and were at the store for several hours.

No injuries were reported.

This story was originally published March 8, 2015 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Fire guts Atwater candle store."