Correction: In an earlier story, two previous fires were referenced, one in 2010 and allegedly one in 2013, as reported by WCNC, That report, according to Webb Road Market owners, is erroneous and the Post has updated this story. According to a statement from WCNC, “This fire happened in September 2010. A content management system migration changed the published date of this article.”

The first of the early vendors arriving to set up at the Webb Road Flea Market were stunned to find the market on fire as they came in.

At 3:40 a.m., a report of a fire at the market was made, and Building B was ablaze. Fire departments from across Rowan County responded, and there were more than a dozen tankers.

The tankers were put into a rotation, filling with water from a hydrant across the highway bridge over I-85 then queuing up at the fire scene to feed hoses and aerial ladders to combat the fire.

As the morning progressed, more and more vendors arrived, planning to spend the morning selling their wares only to find the market surrounded by fire apparatus and crews.

The market, which is accessed by Leach Road, had a fire in 2010 that brought the market to near rubble. An original report in this story noted a former fire in 2013 that was reported by WCNC, but according to the owners, that report is erroneous and there was no fire that year. In addition, in an email from WCNC Monday morning, the organization clarified that in a computer migration, the date of the story was altered to 2013, but the story is on the 2010 fire.

In 2010, the structure was rebuilt, and maintained its popularity, and none of the business’ past fires have been determined to be suspicious in nature.

Tom Walton, Catherine’s father, was one of the original owners/developers of the market starting in the mid-1980s. It has remained in the family through the years and is now owned and operated by Catherine and her husband, Joey Popp, and her sister and brother-in-law, Libby Walton Stephens and Chris Stephens.

One vendor at the scene who lives nearby said she has an outdoor stand where she sells, and she was praying that she hadn’t lost anything. The outdoor stalls were untouched.

Others parked along Leach Road, some with trucks filled with items, others with empty vehicles just waiting to go in, all with faces turned toward the fire, watching.

The fire was deemed “under control” at three hours in, at 6:40 a.m., and at 7:03 firefighters were finally able to get inside and address interior hot spots. Fire investigators were also able to get in Sunday morning to begin investigations.