Fire damages Dollar General, 2 other stores in Whitehall

A fire that apparently started in dry brush outside a Dollar General store in Whitehall on Tuesday afternoon damaged a storage area and caused smoke damage inside that store and two adjacent businesses, a fire official said.

Whitehall Fire Capt. John King said firefighters were called about 4:15 p.m. to a fire that began in brush at the front corner of the Dollar General store at 5156 E. Main St.

The flames ignited a natural gas line serving the building and spread inside the walls of the store.

A storage area was damaged by fire that got inside the walls of the onestory commercial building, he said.

Smoke from the fire spread throughout the Dollar General and into Salon Lofts and the Appliance Parts Center, King said. All three businesses were evacuated. No injuries were reported. Columbia Gas was called to shut off the line.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, King said. Columbus firefighters assisted at the scene.

The National Weather Service had issued a red flag alert for potential brush fires Tuesday in an area encompassing both sides of U.S. Route 23 from southern Ohio through Columbus to Celina to the northwest.

The weather service cited dry conditions, low humidity and winds gusting up to 25 mph.