Walmart

Firefighters Battle Two-Alarm Blaze at Walmart in Milpitas

Firefighters extinguished a fire at a Walmart in Milpitas Saturday.

According to the Milpitas Fire Department, the two-alarm blaze was reported at 3:06 p.m. at the store on 301 Ranch Drive near Highway 880.

More than 100 employees and customers were asked to evacuate. Witnesses say the fire started on the solar panels on the roof but never made it inside the building.

Firefighters contained the fire to the roof's solar panels and had doused the fire by 3:37 p.m.

No injuries were reported, but store employees were startled by the fire.

"Just big black puffy smoke coming out — first it started out light, and then all of a sudden it got really black," said Gladys McCluskey, a Walmart employee. 

McCluskey said about four or five firetrucks made it to the scene and investigated inside the building.

Store employees who were scheduled until 4 p.m. were authorized to leave for the day, but the night crew was still hanging around in the parking lot by 5:30 p.m., waiting to find out if the store would reopen for the day. 

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