Fire at Lodi Walmart prompts evacuation | News

Crews extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes, according to radio traffic, and one employee was treated for smoke inhalation.

Lodi resident William Hannah waited outside while tire center staff worked on his car. He said the smoke coming from the roof was gray, light and billowing at first, but became heavy and black after about five minutes.

“I was sitting on the bench (nearby) and my son stepped on the cones (nearby), and I followed him,” he said. “I looked up and asked myself, 'Why is it smoking?' (An employee) said they were having a barbecue. I was all, no, it's smoke. So she came in, I came in and said “now it's black smoke”. And then she says, “Now we call 911.”

Hannah said he went back inside to get his wife and there was no smoke in the store.

“My car was still parked in the building and they took it away and told us we had to leave,” he said. “So we walked (to the nearby Chevron station).”

According to radio traffic, PG&E crews arrived on scene around 12:40 p.m.

A fire department spokesperson was not available for comment at the scene.