Small fire closes University of Missouri dining hall

A small fire caused University of Missouri officials to temporarily close a dining facility Monday afternoon.

Around 1:16 p.m., Columbia fire crews were called to the Mark on 5th Street, a dining facility in Mark Twain Hall, for a report of a fire.

When firefighters arrived, they learned a small fire in the control unit of a large kitchen freezer had been extinguished by a University of Missouri police officer. The officer was on patrol nearby when the fire was first reported. He was able to put out the fire using a hand-held extinguisher.

The dining facility was evacuated while authorities extinguished the fire and cleaned up the damage.

Fire crews believe an electrical malfunction caused the freezer’s control unit to catch on fire. Damage is estimated at $9,000 and there were no injuries reported.

The dining hall is set to reopen at 4:30 p.m. Monday.