Malfunctioning Refrigeration Unit to Blame for Smoke In FDL Grocery Store

A Fond du Lac grocery store had to be evacuated Saturday
afternoon after a refrigeration unit malfunctioned and caused smoke to fill the
store. Firefighters responded to Festival Foods just after 12:30 pm for a
report of smoke coming from the refrigeration room. Upon arrival, people inside
the store were already being evacuated. One team of firefighters assisted in evacuation
efforts, while another team was able to isolate the refrigeration unit, which
was leaking oil, to stop the smoke from continuing to spread. The Fire
Department’s Hazardous Materials Team determined the oil being used was not
toxic. The smoke was cleared from the store after about 90 minutes, and the
Fond du Lac Public Health Inspector was called in to ensure safety before the
store re-opened. 

“We were grateful for the calm manner in which patrons and
store employees exited the store,” Fire Chief Peter O’Leary said in a news
release. “We know the inconvenience today’s incident caused to Festival Foods
and their guests. Festival Foods employees did a fantastic job helping us
mitigate the emergency.”