A Wilco Farm store near West 11th and Danebo Ave. is open to the public after an early morning “suspicious” fire on Wednesday.
According to the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department, a commercial fire response, including four engines, two ladder trucks, two fire chiefs, and an ambulance, was sent to the fire scene just after 1 a.m. Upon arrival, crews found heavy smoke and flames billowing from the front of the store.
Crews managed to knock the fire down while checking to see if the fire had breached the entrance of the building and determined the sprinkler system held the fire in check long enough for the fire department to arrive and extinguish it, the department said in a press release.
A Wilco employee told The Register-Guard that a hay bale was set on fire in front of the store, just near the entrance.
“The fire is suspicious, and fire investigators are working with the building parties to review video surveillance and determine cause,” the department said.
Despite the early-morning fire, Wilco opened for normal operating hours. Nothing inside the store appeared to have been impacted by smoke or fire.