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Fire in bathroom at FYE forces evacuation of Concord Mills

CONCORD, N.C. — Firefighters had to evacuate Concord Mills early Wednesday after a fire broke out in the mall.

According to the Harrisburg Fire Department, crews responded to the mall around 9:20 a.m. for a report of a fire near the FYE store.

When crews arrived, they reported smoke coming from behind the mall, near the SeaLife Aquarium, and began evacuating the mall.

It didn't take long for firefighters to get the fire under control and no injuries were reported.

[IMAGES: Fire in bathroom at FYE forces evacuation of Concord Mills]

Workers told Channel 9 they were preparing to open when they heard an announcement come over the intercom telling everyone to evacuate. The mall was mostly filled with employees and people who go to the mall early in the morning to walk indoors.

Concord fire officials said the fire started in a ventilation fan in the bathroom at FYE and that an employee spotted it and called the fire department.

The fire activated the sprinkler system and the store suffered smoke and water damage.

The Concord fire chief said no one was hurt but he said because of the size of Concord Mills, firefighters treat the mall like a hospital or any other high priority site.

"It's very concerning, that's why we always send extra resources. Fortunately today it wasn't that serious," said fire chief Ray Allen.

Shoppers that were arriving were told that the mall was closed while crews work to finish smoke removal.

Mall officials announced just before noon that the mall was reopened and that they have brought in a cleanup crew. The fire chief told Channel 9 that three stores were affected and that FYE would be closed for a while.

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