City Market in Cortez closed unexpectedly Wednesday morning after an equipment failure caused smoke in the building.
The store was closed from 5 a.m. to about 9:15 a.m. after employees saw smoke coming from one of the compressors in the building’s ventilation systems, King Soopers corporate spokesman Adam Williamson said. Personnel from the Cortez Fire Protection District responded, and told employees to evacuate the building for safety reasons. About four hours later, City Market employees had repaired the compressor, and the store reopened for business.
Local employees refused to give any details about the incident, referring all questions to the King Soopers corporate headquarters in Denver.
Williamson said he wasn’t sure what caused the compressor to break down, and added that all the store’s equipment is regularly maintained. Wednesday was the first time a compressor had broken down in the Cortez store “in recent history,” he said. He commended the employees for acting quickly to call the fire department and evacuate the building.
“Customer and associate safety is always our first priority,” he said.
City Market was open for business again on Thursday. Its normal operating hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.