East Market catches fire during lightning storm

East Market located at 212 Kelton Ave. in Columbus caught fire on Sunday night during a major thunder storm. Aubrey Stevens, director of leasing and operations at East Market, told 614Now that the fire began when lightning struck the roof above Railhouse around 11:15 p.m. while that portion of the building was open for business. The main market area was closed at the time. 

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Two people were inside the building at the time of the lightning strike but were able to exit safely. Witnesses said crews from the Columbus Division of Fire arrived quickly, and neighbors watched their progress battling the blaze in spite of the rainy conditions. Firefighters spent several hours working to fully extinguish the fire. According to Lt. Nick Davis of the Columbus Division of Fire, the building sustained water damage. 

“Columbus Fire responded quickly and did an excellent job putting the fire out,” Stevens said. “Luckily, nobody was hurt and the market area did not suffer any damages.”

Stevens added that Railhouse will remain closed for repairs, with cleanup and sterilization efforts being handled by Servpro. The rest of the market is expected to reopen within the next day or two.

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