LITTLE ROCK — A large fire at Party City in west Little Rock has shut down both directions of Rodney Parham Road to Arkansas Valley Drive, authorities said.
Little Rock Fire Department Capt. Randy Hickmon said crews arrived at the 11300 block of Rodney Parham around 2 p.m., finding flames shooting from the roof of the party supply store.
Party City employee Nicole Stehle told Arkansas Online she noticed a small fire in one of the aisles, and it quickly engulfed the store as paper and plastic products fed the flames. Stehle said she was told the fire may have originated in the AC unit, though Hickmon could not confirm that claim.
"We don't know yet what happened," Hickmon said, adding there were no initial reports of injuries. Witnesses at the scene said 10 to 15 people were in the store when the fire began. Crews had the fire extinguished in about half an hour.
Hickmon said the inside of the building is a total loss, but the structure itself remains sound. He added that fire crews would likely be on scene for some time, and the road would remain closed for a couple of hours. Rodney Parham was shut down between Arkansas Valley Road and North Rodney Parham.
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