VIDEO: Fire erupts in Georgia Walmart, causing panic among shoppers

Fire erupted inside a Walmart store in Georgia on Wednesday, causing panic among shoppers and the store’s roof to partially collapse, authorities reported. 

The four-alarm fire erupted in the Peachtree City Walmart at around 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday. 

The fire seems to have started on a rack of paper merchandise in the back of the store. The flames eventually got so high that they reached the roof. 

A video taken by a customer from inside the store shows panicked shoppers trying to find the exits as the store becomes engulfed in flames. 

🚨#BREAKING: Firefighters Are battling Massive fire inside Walmart

📌#PeachTree | #Georgia

Multiple firefighters are responding to a Large 3 alarm Walmart Fire with customers running with thick smoke seen for miles away as crews battle the blaze with injuries reported inside pic.twitter.com/cpSwcPct82

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 25, 2022

“While fighting the fire with a large amount of water, they report the structural members from the roof began to collapse on them, so the decision was made to back out and the incident commander made the decision to go defensive and fight the fire from the outside of the building,” Peachtree City Fire Department Assistant Chief Will Harbin told the station.

Another video shows thick, black smoke coming from the store’s rooftop, which could be seen by people miles away. 

#PeachtreeCity #Georgia
3-alarm fire in a Walmart. pic.twitter.com/bwLIYq9wAL

— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) August 25, 2022

Firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the fire at around 4 a.m. on Thursday morning, eight hours after it started, reported the city’s police.

So far, there have been no reports of injuries among store workers or customers. However, a few police officers who were the first to arrive at the scene were overcome by smoke and had to be hospitalized. 

Police said on Thursday that they believe the fire was intentionally set. A team of arson investigators was sent to the site to investigate. 

A couple photos from police of inside the PTC Walmart after the fire last night. They now say it was arson. pic.twitter.com/2EcVd3Cqnr

— Doug Evans (@dougevansfox5) August 25, 2022