Fire strikes again at Target: Arson suspected at Sacramento-area location’s 3rd blaze in 2 years

A small fire broke out at a Sacramento-area Target store this weekend — the third in-store fire the location has battled in two years.

A small fire began Saturday evening at the Target on Fulton Avenue and Alta Arden Expressway in Arden Arcade, according to Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman Capt. Parker Wilbourn. Metro Fire crews were dispatched to the store about 9 p.m.

The fire was intentionally set by two suspects, Wilbourn said, who stole two shopping carts full of merchandise while Target employees worked to extinguish the blaze.

The store was evacuated and the fire was extinguished “within just a few minutes,” Target spokesman Brian Harper-Tibaldo said. The store was closed for the rest of the weekend but reopened for business on Monday morning following a minor clean-up.

Wilbourn said the incident appeared to be a coordinated shoplifting scheme, adding that the suspects could be part of a larger group.

Metro Fire investigators are looking for assistance from the community in identifying the suspects, and Wilbourn encouraged anyone with information about the incident to call the district’s arson tip line at 916-859-3775.

The location last faced fire in early June, when the building was evacuated after a small fire broke out in the back of the building. Sprinklers activated to quickly extinguish the flames, but the store was closed for several weeks to make repairs and restock water-damaged inventory.

In October 2020, the building was evacuated after a fire broke out shortly before closing time, causing “heavy smoke” and triggering in-store sprinklers.

No injuries were reported after any of the three fires.

This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 2:18 PM.