Stratford Fire Department were dispatched to Sobeys at 581 Huron St. on Tuesday morning after a carbon dioxide fire suppression system activated.
Fire Chief Neil Anderson told StratfordToday that the FD received an alarm call from a monitoring company at 9:36 a.m.
Upon arrival, the grocery store was being evacuated and there was nothing visible from the exterior, the chief said.
Store management advised that smoke was visible in the upstairs compressor room but smoke was not visible when firefighters reached the room, the chief said.
It was determined that the cause was a refrigeration leak. The chief explained that the room has an independent exhaust system that properly vented the smoke to the exterior of the building, in which the smoke also activated the CO2 fire suppression system.
Firefighters monitored oxygen levels, which remained at a safe level due to the exhaust system.
The store was closed until a service technician could respond to service the refrigeration system and an alarm technician to service the CO2 system.
The store was back open before Noon on Tuesday.
