Walmart fire in central Ohio ruled arson

URBANA, Ohio (AP) — The state fire marshal says arson has been ruled as the cause of a fire at a Walmart in central Ohio.

No one was injured in the blaze that broke out shortly before 8 p.m. Monday in the Urbana store’s automotive department. An employee put the fire out before firefighters arrived.

The fire marshal’s office says the employee grabbed a fire extinguisher after noticing flames on a sales display. Other employees helped drag debris outside to prevent the fire from spreading.

A fire marshal’s spokesman says the office is not commenting on how the fire started. A reward of up to $5,000 has been offered for information.

Urbana’s police chief says the fire could have spread quickly and put up to 100 employees and customers at risk.