Orchard Supply Hardware on Oakdale Road closed temporarily after machine malfunction

Orchard Supply Hardware in Modesto was closed Saturday morning after a mechanical malfunction caused the business to fill with smoke.

Crews from the Modesto Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the hardware store on Oakdale Road at about 5:30 a.m. and could see smoke inside. The business was not scheduled to open until 7 a.m. and no employees were yet on site so firefighters had to force entry, said Modesto Battalion Chief Randy Anderson.

The source of the smoke was a machine that compacts and bundles cardboard. One of the hydraulic lines on the machine broke and spilled hydraulic fluid on a hot portion of the machine, Anderson said.

The heat caused the fluid to smoke, which set off the fire alarm and activated a sprinkler system.

Firefighters remained on scene until about 8 a.m. clearing the hardware store of smoke while employees watched from the parking lot. A representative said the business likely would not open for several hours.

This story was originally published February 18, 2017 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Orchard Supply Hardware on Oakdale Road closed temporarily after machine malfunction."