The last-minute Christmas Eve shopping rush was abruptly halted at the Vadnais Heights Target store Tuesday after a fire broke out and shut down the store hours before the scheduled closing time.

The fire erupted about 3:30 p.m. in a back room of the building at 975 County Road E, said Target spokesman Eric Hausman.

The fire didn’t enter the main store area and was put out fairly quickly.

But the store, which was scheduled to be open until 10 p.m., was forced to close, Hausman said.

No one was injured.

Mary Lynn Smith