Smoke filled Khoury's Market in the early afternoon on Monday, July 7. At about 3 p.m., customers and employees fled the smoke-filled store as Winnemucca fire and police officials arrived.
Khoury's customer Lisa Northrup was buying snacks for a family outing to Water Canyon when she noticed the smoke.
"We were by the soda place and we thought someone is burning their food," said Northrup. "A lady told us leave. I don't think we're going to get our snacks, now."
Cher Alvarez, store director, said she called 911 at 2:53 p.m. Before emergency services arrived, Alvarez and her employees directed customers out of the store.
"Not knowing what it was, we got everybody out," Alvarez said. She credited Khoury's employees for calmly assisting customers, and she said the customers were cooperative. City of Winnemucca Fire Chief Alan Olsen said a motor had burned up in an air conditioning unit, which then "loaded the store with non-hazardous freon." Two fire engines and a support van were dispatched to the grocery store, located on Grass Valley Road. Olsen said the crews immediately isolated the smoking motor, and Khoury's maintenance personnel would repair it.
The motor, according to Olsen, would most likely have failed because of worn parts and not necessarily because of the high afternoon temperatures in Winnemucca.
"This could have happened in the winter," Olsen said.
The fire department cleared the scene at 4 p.m., and employees and customers were allowed to re-enter the store. Alvarez said the store would remain open as fire officials told her the freon was not harmful to breathe in, and food exposed to the gas was also safe.
Customers entering the still hazy store asked about the smoke. Rena Bell said she was concerned her 3-year-old son would be affected because he has asthma.
"If he reacts to this, I'm taking him out of here," Bell said.
Contact Stephanie Morton at s.morton@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
