Last month, a Walmart e-commerce fulfillment center in Plainfield, Ind., suffered a massive fire that required 20 local fire departments to extinguish the blaze, reported the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer. The March 16 fire destroyed the 1.2-million-square-foot facility at 9590 Allpoints Pkwy. No lives were lost, and no injuries were reported.
“March 16 began as a typical Wednesday for the more than 1,000 associates working in the Plainfield [fulfillment center]. Around noon, a large fire broke out in the building, and everyone had to evacuate as quickly as possible,” Chris Nicholas, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., noted in a corporate website post.
“As associates realized everyone was physically unharmed, they also realized there were some practical matters to handle. Personal items, like keys, cell phones, wallets, drivers’ licenses, insurance cards, had been left behind in their lockers,” continued Nicholas.
Walmart’s Emergency Operations Center in Bentonville was immediately activated, and the team helped coordinate and support remotely, said the company.
Additionally, Walmart’s People team established an associate resource center at a local hotel. The People support team and the Plainfield Facility Manager Geoffrey Appleby worked to help meet associates’ most immediate needs first. This included working with the state to bring its mobile bureau on-site to replace state IDs and engage mobile locksmiths for homes and cars, explained the company, adding that it replaced Walmart discount and insurance cards for all 2,200 associates impacted by the blaze.
The company said it also created a claims process for personal property and gave associates disaster pay through April 1.
A timeline for rebuilding efforts is currently unknown. “The facility will not be functional for the foreseeable future,” said Walmart.
To assist impacted associates seeking new Walmart positions, the company held an internal job fair with over 40 facilities represented. More than 1,800 associates attended, and over 72% of eligible hourly associates accepted offers to remain with Walmart, said the company.
Conversations with salaried leaders are ongoing as well, Nicholas added in the post.
“When the worst happens, we often notice Walmart associates at their best. Whether it is a natural disaster or a local need, we see associates rising up to do what’s best for the community,” Nicholas said. “They never cease to make us proud, and the events in Plainfield are no exception.”
