CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - Coral Springs Police want to identify and speak to a woman captured by surveillance video inside of a Dollar Store, April 15, as a fire burned.
According to the Coral Springs Fire Department, the blaze sparked in one of the aisles of the Dollar Tree located just off the corner of West Sample Road and Coral Ridge Drive, at around 12:30 p.m. The video released on Tuesday showed people running out of the store, including one woman who, police said, may have information on the fire, which they have deemed suspicious.
When the fire broke out that Saturday, customers inside the store quickly dialed 911 for help.
“We heard loud banging. I thought it was like someone smashing a cart into the wall,” said customer Chasity Palumbaro, “but when I looked, it was flames. And I was told it was in the chemical area so it was like, exploding.”
The woman who police want to talk to can be seen passing by cameras close to the store’s entrance as a crowd escapes from the fire. She is a white female, with blonde hair, wearing a black blouse and a long green dress and appears to be holding a young boy.
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Firefighters have labeled the fire as suspicious, but did not explain why.
No one was hurt in the fire.
Investigators have already spoken to several witnesses and now want to speak to the unidentified woman. They did not say she is suspected of any wrongdoing, but police do want to speak to her.
The fire department posted video of the fire on Twitter. The footage shows firefighters low to the ground while heavy smoke poured out of the store and billowed into the sky.
CSFD declaring a working structure fire @ 11530 W. Sample Road, Dollar Tree Store. #sflbreaking pic.twitter.com/WN09l7Op8J
— Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department (@CoralSpringsFD) April 15, 2017
Crews responded to the scene and attempted to put out the flames, but officials said visibility was an issue.
“A retail store like this is always dangerous because we don’t necessarily know what’s being stored in there,” said Coral Springs Fire Division Chief Mike Moser.
To make sure the fire didn’t reignite, a drone with a heat sensor was flown overhead. Crews then performed one last safety check before heading back to the station.
Moser said that extra safety check paid off. “We were able to see on the roof a hot spot that we would not have been able to see with the naked eye,” he said.
The store was ultimately left in shambles.
If you recognize the woman in the video, contact Coral Springs Police at (954) 346-1251.
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