City Shuts Down Temple Mall Due To Fire Safety Violations

If you plan to buy something from Temple Mall, you need to shop elsewhere in Central Texas. It is now closed to the public due to safety issues.

Structural Failures Force Temple Mall to Empty Out Immediately

The Temple Mall is shutting its doors to the public following a strict enforcement order from the city over severe, unaddressed structural and fire code infractions. According to Fox 44,  local officials announced the temporary shutdown after building owners blew past a critical repair deadline.

A Month's Warning

This action comes exactly one month after the Fire Marshal’s office handed down a strict 30-day notice on May 22. That directive explicitly warned management that a total closure would be enforced if ongoing structural hazards and system failures were not immediately fixed. Because those issues were not corrected, the city stepped in to protect public safety.

Laundry List of Hazards

City inspections revealed a laundry list of hazardous issues within the mall, including:

A lack of water due to a busted fire pump

Broken sprinkler system

Nonfunctioning fire alarms

Electrical Fire hazards: Shorted out alarms, open junction boxes, exposed, spliced wires

Lack of Cooperation

City inspectors and safety teams say they tried to work with mall ownership following a similar shutdown back in 2024. During this time, the city allowed a temporary "fire watch" patrol to monitor the corridors under the assumption that permanent overhauls were being completed. City officials didn't go for it, saying human patrols are only a stopgap measure, not a permanent functional, automated emergency defense system. The recent inspection found that the mall's condition is worse now than it was in 2024.

Closure Order

The order shut down the mall at 7pm, Monday June 22nd. No one can enter the building without Fire Marshall approval. Temple Mall will remain closed until ownership can prove that all safety systems have been completely rebuilt and pass inspection.

Dillards Will Remain Open

The only exception to the vacancy mandate is the Dillard’s department store, which features an independent fire suppression network, a separate alarm setup, and a certified fire-rated barrier wall isolating it from the rest of the mall structure.