INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — No injuries were reported after a compactor fire caused a nearly hour-long evacuation at the Walmart Supercenter in Vero Beach, fire rescue officials said.
The small blaze started about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday in the compactor near the loading dock outside of the store, Indian River County Department of Emergency Services Chief Tad Stone said. The giant retail chain is located at 5555 20th Street, east of 58th Avenue.
The flames did not spread, but the smoke veered into a storage area, Stone said. The area where customers were shopping was not impacted by the smoke.
Fire crews evacuated the building, and then extinguished the flames within 15 minutes, Stone said. Customers briefly waited in the parking lot until firefighters allowed them to go back inside.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
