The central wing of Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham has been closed because of flooding during fire sprinkler maintenance.

Officials at the mall say water poured over the floors of more than a dozen stores at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Smith Fire Systems of Tacoma was working on the sprinkler system at Kohl's, but mall General manager Dennis Curtis says the source of the flooding remains unclear.

Water was three inches deep on the floor of the department store, and the flooding extended down the rest of that wing of the mall almost to the food court. Curtis says 16 stores have been damaged.

Other large outlets in the mall, including Macy's, Target, JC Penny and Sears, remained open, as did the food court and many smaller stores.

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Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com