EASTHAMPTON — The Family Dollar on Union Street has been ordered to close until a number of fire safety code violations have been rectified and the building has been brought into compliance.

The city’s Fire Department issued the discount retailer a fine of $2,600 and a cease-and-desist order last week, according to Easthampton Fire Chief Christopher Norris.

“I feel very comfortable saying that no effort has been made to correct the documented deficiencies,” Norris said.

Problems first arose in May 2022 when a fire inspector visited the business as part of an annual inspection. During that visit, the inspector found aisles, entrances and exits blocked by merchandise, stocked goods and cardboard containers, Norris said.

Emergency lighting was also not working and the store was not in receipt of permitting for combustible or flammable liquids, which is required by state law.

“Our inspector put together a plan to help the business come into compliance, but when he came back for the inspection in the fall, nothing was corrected,” he said.

In fact, Norris said even more deficiencies were discovered, including issues of cleanliness and storage of bulk materials and their proximity to sprinkler heads, which would not allow for proper distribution of water in the event of a fire.

The inspector again crafted a plan to help correct the code violations. This past month, the Fire Department visited the store to see if any progress was made, and Norris said nothing has changed.

Representatives for Family Dollar did not response to request for comment on Wednesday.

This isn’t the first time the national retailer has had its wrists slapped for safety code violations.

In December, federal workplace safety inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that the company, which is owned by Dollar Tree Inc. of Chesapeake, Virginia, had exposed workers to fire, entrapment and struck-by hazards in Georgia. Similarly, OSHA found the company failed to keep exit routes clear of merchandise and was cited for repeat violations, The agency proposed more than $360,000 in fines.

In February, OSHA issued citations for three repeat violations at Dollar Tree’s Mount Pleasant, Texas store. The agency proposed more than $250,000 in fines.

Since 2017, federal and state OSHA programs have identified more than 300 violations in more than 500 inspections at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, including blocked exit routes, unsafe working areas and unsafely stacked boxes and merchandise.

Norris, who has been Easthampton’s fire chief since 2020, said that this was only the second time the department closed a business because of code violations. The other business was a gas station, which was closed for three days because its closed-circuit television system was not in compliance with state fire regulations. Massachusetts requires gas stations to monitor gas pumps for safety reasons, Norris said.

The Easthampton Family Dollar opened at the Union Street Plaza in 2012. The 9,000–square-foot business is one of Union Street’s largest storefronts.

Before reopening, Norris said the company must pay all fines and correct all of the code violations.

“It’s important for people to understand that the fine was a last resort,” he said. “We want to work together and help bring them into compliance to ensure they’re running a safe operation. It’s unfortunate that such a large corporation isn’t putting in the care required to maintain safety compliance.”

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>