FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Fire investigators are trying to figure out the cause of a fire that nearly destroyed a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said the fire started in a dumpster and spread to a City Furniture trailer outside the store near Southwest Fifth Avenue and Broward Boulevard, around 12:12 a.m., Monday.
Surveillance cameras captured a man surveying the area where the fire would later break out before knocking out the security camera, Sunday afternoon. However, officials have not yet confirmed a connection.
“When you have that much fire load, and then you have the flames now coming up the building as well as the smoke and everything else, it’s more than just a dumpster fire. It becomes a commercial structure fire,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan.
The store almost went up in smoke after the dumpster fire.
“They were smelling a lot of smoke. They had to open all the doors and put big fans to get the smoke out of here,” said manager Pana Geullier.
The store sells used, donated and refurbished furniture to finance charitable projects, such as homes that are built from scratch for people in need.
“My sister is a Habitat homeowner, so I know the feeling. I know what we do,” said Geullier.
Officials said there was no structural damage to the building and that merchandise was not affected.
“Fortunately, this was outside. It was in an overhang area where we had sprinkler heads, so the sprinkler system went off,” said general manager Casey Huber.
Fire investigators will now determine if the fire was an accident or otherwise.
Huber said the fire would have affected more than just one store if someone started it deliberately.
“Really shocked and flabbergasted that somebody would do this, particularly to an organization like ours,” said Huber.
A business across the street from the store said they have surveillance video that showed a man crawling under a dumpster shortly before it erupted in flames.
Firefighters said the sprinkler system that was triggered by the fire may have saved the store from any damage.
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