50 forced from apartment after suspected lightning strike causes fire in Ohio

COLUMBUS — Several people have been forced from their apartment after an early morning fire in Ohio on Wednesday.

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Columbus Division of Fire responded around 1 a.m. to the Avenue of Polaris on reports of a structure fire, according to our news partner, WBNS in Columbus.

An initial investigation showed that when firefighters arrived, there was significant fire coming from the roof.

Firefighters upgraded it to a two-alarm fire due to the building’s size, Lt. Nick Davis from the Columbus Division of Fire told Columbus media outlets.

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Approximately 50 people have been displaced due to the fire, and the American Red Cross has been called to assist, WBNS reports.

The lightning strike may be the cause of the apartment fire.

Firefighters continue to investigate.

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