Clothing set ablaze at Bay store in downtown Regina

A fire that started in a downtown Regina department store Wednesday and sent shoppers heading for the exits is under investigation.

It happened shortly after 2 p.m. CSTat the Bay store at the Cornwall Centre, when the mall was full of people.

The Regina fire department says someone deliberately set the fire. A clothing rack in the store was on fire, setting off the sprinkler system.

Crews extinguished the fire quickly and no injuries have been reported.

Fire department Deputy Chief Dustin McCullough said there was significant smoke and water damage in the store.

"When our crews entered there was very limited visibility due to the amount of smoke on the main floor," he said.

McCullough says a joint investigation is underway with Regina Police Service.

Other offices affected

The provincial government says the fire will affect some government services tomorrow.

The province says its eHealth head office, which is in the mall, will be closed to the public.

The eHealth office says its front counter service for health registries and vital statistics is closed.

It also says there will also be a delay responding to inquiries received through other channels.

The general manager of the Cornwall Centre declined to answer questions, referring CBCNews to the city.