Fire At Gwinnett Place Mall Damages Shoe Shop

DULUTH, GA — Shoppers were evacuated from Gwinnett Place Mall on Thursday after a fire broke out at a shoe-repair shop there.

Firefighters were called at 4:54 p.m. to a report of a fire at the mall. They arrived to discover a smoldering fire inside Heel Quik, a shop near the escalators of the Duluth-area mall.

They quickly doused the fire — which investigators say had been controlled somewhat by the mall's sprinkler system — with portable water cans and began working to clear the building of smoke.

Investigators say the fire was accidental, caused by a machine that an employee was using inside the shop. The blaze caused extensive damage to the machine and other contents of the shop.

There was water damage to the second-story store and on both levels of the mall in the immediate area.

The employee who was using the machine escaped unharmed and there were no injuries reported.

Gwinnett County Police assisted firefighters in evacuating the mall, which remained closed for the rest of Thursday evening for cleanup operations.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services