Police in Grapevine say an officer’s quick actions prevented a fire from spreading in the Grapevine Mills shopping mall last month.
Police in Grapevine say an officer's quick actions prevented a fire from spreading in the Grapevine Mills shopping mall last month.
A police news release Friday detailed the incident in the early hours of Nov. 2.
According to police, Officer Michael Diciero smelled smoke while walking into the mall. He began to investigate and noticed the temperature getting warmer as he continued walking.
Once he turned a corner, Diciero saw smoke and flames inside the Modern Vanity business. He immediately got on his police radio to call firefighters for help and alert mall security officers.
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The police department said his quick actions "helped prevent the flames from spreading to even more tenants inside the mall."
"I just remember thinking about all of the Christmas decorations that were out, and all of the gifts waiting for families, and wanting to make sure as much of the property as possible could be saved, so Santa could still have his place in the mall this season," Diciero said in a statement. "I wanted everyone to feel the spirit of Christmas. I'm glad the fire department was able to respond so quickly."
Investigators determined the fire was sparked by an electrical problem. No one was hurt.
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The department said Diciero first went to the mall so he could exercise and help with mall security during his break.
