Two clerks inside the Quick Thrift Marathon gas station on Carrollton-Villa Rica Highway escaped injury after a fire ignited in the convenience store just before the store closed at 11 p.m. Thursday.

Carroll County Fire & Rescue Captain Tyler Shadix said firefighters were sent to the gas station after the employees heard popping noises and saw smoke coming from the kitchen area of the store before both employees dashed outside for safety and called 911.

When firefighters arrived a 5-foot wall of fire quickly doubled in size inside the gas station before firefighters could bring the blaze under control within about 15 minutes, according to Shadix.

Fire officials said that although the cause of the fire remained under investigation Friday, it appeared to have started from an electrical fire sparked by a mounted radio on a wall inside the store.

“Some of the merchandise behind the counter was damaged, and there was smoke damage to other merchandise in the store,” he said. “Firefighters were able to move a freezer to save some of the products that needed to be frozen.”

Shadix said that although the station contained high flammable fuel beneath its pumps, the fuel did not impose additional safety threats since the tanks were underground.

“The main hazards for a fire at a convenience store are from the products inside, which increases the fuel load and causes the fire to burn hotter and even more intense,” he said.

Officials said the gas station will remain closed until repairs to the building are complete.