Sprinkler break forces evacuation of mall store

The Bangor Mall was evacuated for about 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon when a sprinkler pipe broke in the future Hollister Co. store, according to officials.

The storefront, which is located near the J.C. Penney store, was under construction around 2 p.m. when the sprinkler pipe broke and set off the mall’s fire alarm, said Lt. Dennis Nadeau of the Bangor Fire Department. A fair amount of water was sprayed throughout the construction site, but only a small amount reached the store next door, Spencer Gifts, he said.

Patrons evacuated the building, but 20 minutes later were allowed back in, said Kim Reid, director of marketing at the Bangor Mall. The sprinkler system was shut off in that section of the mall until the pipe could be repaired, but mall security maintained a fire watch as a precaution, Nadeau said.