‘How do they not have a sprinkler system?’: Chicago Target fails to activate safety measures even as merchandise goes up in flames

A video posted to TikTok showing a fire breaking out in a Chicago Target has got viewers questioning why the mega retailer didn’t seem to make much effort in putting it out.

In the video we can see black smoke billowing up from one of the aisles as store patrons yell and run. We catch a glimpse of the flames before it cuts to the person holding the camera walking down a set of escalators as customers are ordered to evacuate. This whole time the fire appears to be spreading and claiming more stock with little resistance thanks to the fact that there don’t seem to be any sprinklers.

Viewers in the comment section seemed pretty upset about the Target fire, with many saying that it was their favorite store. To some it’s become known as the Goth Target.

Wait I love that target

ITS GOTH TARGET

Nooo that’s the best one!

Apparently this was THE most beloved and cherished Target in the entire US. Okay, weirdos. Anyways, it seems that no people were hurt, not that anyone asked. Oh, and the Target itself survived, so that’s great too.

Whilst it’s good news no-one seems to have been hurt, it doesn’t look like there was much in place to stop a fire. Throughout the video there are no sprinklers activated at any point leading to the question, does the building meet health and safety requirements?

According to OSHA a building needs to have a fire suppression system such as an automatic sprinkler system. The video clearly shows that the system isn’t activating, however, an article from CBS does confirm that the blaze was eventually extinguished by sprinklers. So it looks like Goth Target does have sprinklers throughout the store, maybe they just need to add even more.