Rising Cement Shuts Down Superior Dollar General
By:
SUPERIOR - Earlier this week the Dollar General was up and running until the Superior Fire Department shut it down.
"Realizing that the door wouldn't open even if the snow was removed we had no choice but to order them to close for business," Superior Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Gordon said.
The Dollar General’s back door wouldn't open because of heaving, meaning frost from this harsh winter got underneath the ground, expanded and lifted up the concrete, preventing the door from opening and closing easily.
"At Dollar General we could only open that door about an inch,” said Gordon. “Obviously that's not an egress the door has to open fully and has to be cleared all the way to a path."
A back door that can't open completely, what's the big deal?
According to fire and building codes some businesses have to have more than one way to exit to ensure safety.
"If something were to happen in that store and there was one people or if there were 100 people in there and they had a fire or some other emergency they would not be able to get out that back door,” said Gordon. “In essence they would be trapped in it, their only option would be to get out the front door."
Dollar General management took action immediately, hiring contractors to drill and shave off inches of risen concrete from the back and front doors.
"There's probably many buildings out there that are having this happen,” said Jill Van Asten with the Pfefferle Management/Dollar General. “Unfortunately until it happens you don't know, there's been no way of knowing."
Fire officials say given this extreme winter other businesses should heed this warning and keep a close eye on their doors.
"Businesses need to go out and check their secondary egress make sure you can get out that back door," said Gordon.
Superior Fire Department has lifted their order, Dollar General is now open.