Sprinklers cause power failure that spoils Meijer food

A malfunctioning sprinkler prompted a power failure at the Bloomingdale Meijer over the weekend, eventually forcing the company to replace all refrigerated and frozen food in the store.

Water from the problematic sprinkler sprayed over electrical systems in a storeroom Friday afternoon, prompting managers to close the store for safety reasons, said Frank Guglielmi, director of public relations for Meijer.

Generators were brought in to restore limited power by around 11:30 p.m. Friday, but the store at 130 S. Gary Ave. remained closed until Saturday morning so inspectors could examine the building and declare it safe, he said.

They needed two large trailer generators to power the entire store.

In the meantime, because the building was without power for seven hours, all frozen and refrigerated food needed to be removed and restocked. While it could be taken out during the downtime, it could not be restocked until the store was opened Saturday morning, Guglielmi said.

Generators still are being used at the store while repairs are ongoing.