A True Story

“Sometimes it takes a trial by fire to see who is truly worthy.”

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In 1984, I was the Assistant Store Manager at the Clover store a regional discount store chained that was in business from the 1970’s until the mid 90’s in Cheltenham Pa, just outside Philadelphia. It was a typical evening shift when chaos suddenly erupted in the Sporting Goods Department. As I strolled the sales floor as I normally would do, my eyes fell upon the folded sweatshirt aisle engulfed in flames, roaring all the way to  the ceiling with an intense fury that sent shockwaves through my senses.

Instinct kicked in as I reached for the nearest fire extinguisher, only to be interrupted by the urgent crackle of the PA system. “S-7 to Domestics,” the coded message blared—a signal that meant our security associate was needed. Glancing over, my heart sank to witness the towel aisle ablaze in a terrifying spectacle of burning fabric.

Then, disbelief turned to grim resolve as I spotted wisps of smoke curling from the nearby men’s underwear aisle. Time seemed to slow as I assessed the escalating situation. With clarity born of urgency, I grabbed the PA microphone and delivered a firm directive: “Attention, attention. Due to an emergency, all customers must evacuate the building immediately.” The command echoed through the store, repeated three times for emphasis.

Summoning all available hands, I rallied our management team and supervisors to arm themselves with fire extinguishers and converge on the affected departments. Together, we formed a human chain, battling against the spreading inferno that threatened to consume our store.

It was then that the truth emerged—a chilling revelation amidst the chaos. A twelve-year-old girl, wandering  through the aisles, had been clandestinely igniting fires in five areas in all with a book of matches. Her actions, born of  misguided mischief, had set a series of blazes that now threatened lives and property.

With steely determination, we fought back the flames, inch by perilous inch. Each burst of the extinguisher felt like a small victory against the encroaching disaster. Sweat mingled with adrenaline as we worked tirelessly, our efforts punctuated by the wail of sirens outside.

The entire ordeal lasted only around 20 min.  Miraculously, we managed to quell the fires before they could claim any casualties. I quickly ordered my staff of hand to remove all damaged merchandise from the selling floor and clean all the displays.  I then turned the stores roof top exhaust fans to remove all smoke smoke and soot in the air our store   stood defiant against the night’s turmoil. The ordeal, however, was far from over.

As news spread, it came to light that the young arsonist had continued her reckless spree into the mall adjoining our store. The fabric store next door fell victim to her unchecked pyromania with a total loss, adding another chapter of devastation to an already harrowing night.

Yet, amidst the upheaval, our store’s ordeal remained largely unnoticed by the press and we were able to open the next day—a footnote in the broader tapestry of that year’s events. We breathed a collective sigh of relief, grateful that no lives had been lost, and resolved to reinforce our security measures against such unforeseen threats in the future.

In the aftermath, the incident became a cautionary tale passed down among retail veterans—a reminder of the unpredictable nature of human behavior and the resilience required in the face of crisis. For me, it was a night etched forever in memory, a testament to the courage and quick thinking of a team united against adversity.

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