Columbia fire investigating early morning car fire

Columbia Fire is investigating an early morning car fire.

The call originally came in as a house fire just before 3 a.m. Once fire crews arrived, they saw a car on fire in Brown Station Park.

Firefighters were able to get the fire under control in a few minutes. They cleared the scene within an hour. The car was towed around 4:15 a.m. from the park.

One person was found in the area of the car and was evaluated by medics. The person was not taken to the hospital. Columbia Police arrived and spoke with the driver of the car, Christopher Carter.

Officers did a Field Sobriety Test and Breathalyzer test. Carter showed to have a .224% blood alcohol content.

Carter was arrested for Misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated and released on Municipal summon.

The fire marshal noted damage was contained the mulch area.

A park ranger with Columbia Parks and Rec got to the scene around 6:30 a.m. to assess the damage. She told crews she was taking photos to send to management who would determine how much it is going to cost to fix.