Police say a fire that caused significant damage at an East Vancouver Walmart on Saturday (July 27) may have been intentionally set.
Firefighters were called to the grocery store on Grandview Highway just before 10 a.m. for an out-of-control blaze. They managed to extinguish the flames, but not before the fire caused an estimated several million in damage, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
In a post to social media, the East Vancouver Walmart said it will be closed until further notice while it repairs the store. It added that no customers or employees were injured in the blaze.
VPD says it is investigating the cause of the incident and that it may have been intentional.
“We urge anyone who witnessed anything unusual in the store around the time of the fire to contact investigators immediately,” Const. Tania Visintin said in a statement Sunday.
Walmart called the fire "shocking, dangerous and shameful." It said the suspected attack will unfairly impact customers and employees who rely on the store.
"The store will re-open as soon as possible while we work with officials to ensure the store is safe and up to the standards our customers expect and deserve," Walmart said.
