Gwinnett fire officials ruled Wednesday that a fire at Wal-Mart near Snellville was an arson.
The fire happened about 7:30 p.m. Sunday and caused smoke and flame damage at the store on Centerville Highway. A burning rack of clothing sent smoke throughout the building, Capt. Tommy Rutledge said. No injuries were reported.
“Store Associates quickly got everyone out of the building and used portable fire extinguishers to knockdown the bulk of the flames before the fire department arrived,” Rutledge said. “The majority of damage within the store was the result of smoke that spread across a large area.”
Arson investigators have labeled the individual seen in the attached surveillance photo as “a person of interest.”
“We are not calling him a suspect at this point, but believe that he may have seen something that could be helpful in solving the case,” Rutledge said. “The man is pictured wearing a gray hoodie and pushing a buggy inside the store.”
Anyone with information about the fire or the person seen in the photo, is asked to please contact the Gwinnett Fire Investigation Section at 678-518-4890 or the Georgia Arson Control Hot Line at 1-800-282-5804.
Georgia Arson Control, Inc. offers a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for arson. Arson is a felony and punishable by up to 20 years behind bars.
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