Crime & Safety

Lake Elsinore Walmart Briefly Evacuated

The evacuation lasted for about an hour and a half.

A brief evacuation at the Lake Elsinore Walmart store Thursday morning was caused by an electrical problem, officials are reporting.

According to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson, the morning disruption was caused by an overheated transformer.

There were no injuries reported.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Interim store manager Joe Cisneros said employees smelled something unusual and called in authorities.

"There was no smoke, no flames. It was just a precautionary measure," he said.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Cisneros reported that the evacuation began at approximately 8:50 a.m., but employees and shoppers were allowed back into the store around 10:30 a.m.

"We're open. Everything is good."

 


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