Escalator fire delays Shops at Palm Desert opening Friday

An early morning fire at The Shops at Palm Desert caused a delay in the mall opening on Friday. Cal Fire reported that they were called to the mall just before 8:00 a.m. to a report of a fire in one of the escalators. The fire was quickly put out by firefighters.

A spokeswoman for the Shops at Palm Desert told Newschannel 3 the fire delayed the opening of the mall. There were no customers in the mall at the time of the fire, and there were no reports of injuries.

Officials needed to clear all the smoke out of the building before re-opening. The Shops opened to the public around 2:00 p.m. Friday. The food court will remain closed on Friday, but will reopen Saturday morning. No word on what caused the fire.