UPDATE, 1/22: The Price Chopper at 300 SW Blue Parkway in Lee's Summit reopened Friday after a fire.
Price Chopper tweeted the store reopened following an inspection after a small fire occurred early Thursday morning.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A small fire damaged the Price Chopper at 300 SW Blue Parkway in Lee’s Summit Thursday morning, according to the Lee’s Summit Fire Department.
At 1:44 a.m. Thursday, the fire department responded to a reported structure fire at the Price Chopper. When firefighters arrived, nothing was visible from the outside of the building. The fire department said store employees were evacuating, and the store was closed at the time of the incident.
The news release from the Lee’s Summit Fire Department said firefighters extinguished a small fire on a platform above the walk-in cooler in the deli section. The fire was under control by 2:15 a.m. Crews then assisted with smoke removal from the store.
The fire department said damage was contained to a water heating unit and the wood platform above the cooler. There was moderate smoke damage to the area around the cooler with lighter smoke damage throughout the store. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fire department said the Jackson County Health Department was called to inspect the building and products in the store. At this time, it has not been determined when the store will reopen.
According to the news release, fire department crews responded to the building earlier in the evening to investigate the odor of smoke. After nearly a two-hour investigation, the odor had dissipated and the source couldn’t be determined. The fire department said store employees were notified to call the fire department if conditions changed.
The 1:44 a.m. call was originally received and dispatched as an automatic alarm for the business. The fire department said they contacted the business, and they reported an odor of smoke and were investigating. Employees called back to report the fire in the deli area.
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