Parts of the Woodstock Walmart reopened Tuesday after a fire on New Year’s Eve that authorities said was intentionally set and caused millions of dollars in damage.
Customers can now shop for groceries and consumables at the store and the pharmacy and vision center have reopened, according to the store Facebook page and a Walmart spokesperson.
Items like fresh and pantry foods, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and other household staples are available, the spokesperson said.
McHenry County Department of Health spokesperson Nick Kubiak said Tuesday afternoon the department has been working with Walmart representatives since the fire “to address the cleaning and sanitizing of impacted areas, as well as the proper removal and disposal of affected food items.”
Kubiak said department staff over the weekend verified the removal of affected food items and the completion of required cleaning and sanitization of food and grocery areas before restocking.
The health department has approved reopening the food and grocery areas, Kubiak said Tuesday afternoon, adding staff continues to evaluate other affected areas and will approve reopening after cleanup and sanitation requirements are met.
The spokesperson said Walmart is working as fast as it can to reopen the rest of the store. It’s been about a week since a fire the evening of Dec. 31 forced the store to be evacuated.
As of Jan. 2, the vision center was available for appointments only, and the pharmacy had reopened its drive-thru services, according to the store’s Facebook page.
Adilyn R. Monette, 21, of Woodstock, has been accused of aggravated arson in connection with the fire, according to authorities. Charges were upgraded to aggravated arson, a Class X felony, from arson with damage to real or personal property and criminal damage to property in the case. Monette did not argue against prosecutors’ request to detain her in McHenry County Jail last week.
A criminal complaint alleged Monette drove to the Walmart and “covered numerous baby cribs in camping fuel” and used matches to light them on fire. The complaint alleges Walmart managers said the damages were over $5 million.
Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner posted a statement on Facebook over the weekend about the Walmart fire and a separate act in which authorities said a man “maliciously attacked” a woman at a Shell gas station in Woodstock, also on Dec. 31. Turner said the community was “shaken” by the alleged acts and he praised the efforts of the Woodstock Police Department and the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim, as well as with the employees and customers of Walmart who were affected by these incidents,” Turner said in the post. “While these events were deeply disturbing, I am profoundly grateful for the exceptional work of the men and women of the Woodstock Police Department.”
In the alleged gas station attack, authorities charged Austin Silverman, 29, of Woodstock with attempted murder, aggravated battery in a public place and criminal damage to property. Silverman was detained in the McHenry County Jail.
In the fire, Woodstock Fire/Rescue District crews were called 7:22 p.m. Dec. 31 to the Walmart at 1275 Lake Ave. and found people evacuating the store. Crews found indications of a fire near the back of the store, but the Walmart’s automatic sprinkler system had already put out the fire, department spokesperson Alex Vucha said.
Court records indicate store officials estimated the fire caused millions of dollars in damage.
:quality(70):focal(3602x2079:3612x2089)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/WLCR7JYDXFGKPBQQKWBJT4LSNM.jpg)