VIDEO: Franklin police say a 10-year-old boy intentionally started a fire inside the Franklin Walmart on Monday night, leading to the store’s indefinite closure and impacting many customers who rely on it for food and pharmacy needs. Seconds after the flames began to spread just before 9 p.m. Monday, 911 calls alerted dispatchers to the situation.
A dispatcher reported, “Going to be at Walmart for smoke within the building, west end of the building, they are seeing flames, heavy smoke within the building.” Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames, aided by the store’s sprinkler system, but the damage has left the mega retailer shut down indefinitely. “It was a challenge just to find the actual seat of the fire because of the reduced visibility and by the nature of a big box store, the narrow aisleways, when you think of that obstructed by smoke, it’s very difficult to find your way around,” Franklin Fire Chief James Mayer said Tuesday. He said the fire originated in the greeting card aisle, allowing the flames to quickly spread as it ignited shelves of greeting cards and wrapping paper.
