CA: Man sets fire to Halloween costumes in Walmart

Customers at a Walmart in Northern California got quite a fright after a row of Halloween costumes were set on fire by a man who first sprayed lighter fluid on them.

Paul Miller tweeted that the fire was apparently somehow caused by a Halloween costume.

Employees ended up getting the fire under control by using a fire extinguisher, but there was so much smoke, the store had to evacuated and closed for about four hours. Store personnel and firefighters with the Alameda County firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

“We are still reviewing surveillance video from the store, interviewing witnesses and evaluating evidence, hoping to piece this incident together”, said San Leandro police Lt. Robert McManus.

“Once he was in the store, they saw a few sort of container inside a cart that was leaking liquid as he pushed it throughout the store today”, McManus said.

A Walmart spokesperson confirmed the store was evacuated but referred further questions to San Leandro police.

Walmart employees desperately tried to get flames under control after police say a 40-year-old man used a 2-quart bottle of charcoal lighter fluid – that he picked up from the gardening section – to set children’s Halloween costumes on fire. “That’s something that’s heartbreaking”.

The motive for the arson is not yet known.