May not open again until Black Friday

Apple has shuttered the Roseville Galleria Apple Store in California until further notice. "The Apple Store, Roseville is currently closed," a warning on Apple's website reads. "Please visit the Apple Store, Arden Fair." The Arden Fair outlet is located about 20 minutes away, in Sacramento.

Although Apple isn't providing an explanation, reports note that the closure is related to a Thursday fire in the mall, allegedly started by a 23-year-old man who brought a kerosene-smelling backpack into a GameStop and then ordered people to leave. Sprinkler systems were unable to put the fire out, and while a bomb robot was sent to examine the backpack, the blaze continued to grow, in fact causing the roof to collapse on both the backpack and the robot, further delaying firefighters. The wait allowed extensive damage to the Galleria, including flooding, roof cave-ins and smoke damage.

The incident is said to be so severe that only portions of the mall may open in time for Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of year. Governor Schwarzenegger has declared an emergency in the county, and the Sacramento Bee reports that the fire could have a serious impact on jobs and local tax revenues. The Apple Store may have received little to no damage in the form of smoke, as it is well away from the GameStop.

by MacNN Staff