Get All Access for $5/mo

14-Year-Old Girl Arrested in Connection to Walmart Peachtree City Fire The Georgia Walmart was engulfed in flames after customers saw smoke coming from the paper aisle.

By Sam Silverman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A 14-year-old girl has been arrested by Peachtree City police in relation to the damaging Walmart fire in Peachtree City, Georgia. Officials who are investigating the alleged arson have yet to name the suspect and determine a motive, Fox 5 Atlanta reported Wednesday.

The fire, which started in the paper goods aisle, erupted in the Georgia Walmart while customers were inside the store on the evening of August 24. Peachtree City police officers were the first to arrive at the scene, and firefighters began taming the flames around 7:20 p.m., following multiple alarms, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

Police officers who entered the building to evacuate customers were hit with a wall of heavy smoke, and three were treated for smoke inhalation, per USA Today. All employees and customers were evacuated before firefighters entered the store. A wall of fire engulfed the store's merchandise and rose to the roof, which eventually collapsed.

"While fighting the fire with a large amount of water, they reported 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 Wilbur Harbin said, per Fox.

Several customers and employees took to social media to share videos and photos of the ordeal. One employee shared a photo of a paper goods aisle engulfed in flames and another of the thick black smoke pouring through the collapsed ceiling on Twitter. "Can't believe everything that happened at work today. The fire at the Walmart in Peachtree City, GA was started in the aisle with napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper," he captioned his post, adding, "Everything happened so quick...Here's a photo I took when I first saw it!"

In one TikTok video of the incident, customers can be seen evacuating the building — carts still in tow — as flames erupt behind them.

@sigmaayh Walmart on fire #walmart #walmartfire ♬ original sound - Sigmaayh

Firefighters eventually extinguished the fire in the late evening. The three police officers have the only injuries reported. The fire left the store with significant damage to the roof and interior, per Fox. The Peachtree City Walmart will be temporarily closed to assess the damages, but the store has no timeline to reopen.

Sam Silverman

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Entrepreneur Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found in The US Sun, Nicki Swift, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style and Health. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, entrepreneurship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Living

70% of Small Business Owners Experience Monthly Burnout. Follow These 3 Rules to Avoid the Same Fate.

Here are three guidelines to help entrepreneurs achieve balance, growth and success in both their professional and personal endeavors.

Franchise

Kick-Start Your Small Business With These Cost Effective Strategies

Starting a small business is an exciting adventure, brimming with both opportunities and challenges. A key to success is effectively managing costs from the outset.