Roanoke first responders were dispatched to Valley View Mall early Tuesday morning after an accidental fire broke out at Lids.
According to Roanoke Fire-EMS, crews responded to the mall at approximately 3:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, for a fire alarm.
When units arrived, they found heavy water flowing and smoke coming from Lids inside Valley View Mall.
After personnel investigated, the department says they discovered a fire had started in the bathroom’s vent fan before dropping burning material onto flammable materials that were stored in the bathroom. Even though the sprinkler system was activated before firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames, fire officials say units worked to mitigate the damage from the water as much as possible until they turned the scene over to property maintenance.