Fire on the roof of Boone Hospital

The Columbia Fire Department shut down part of Broadway Wednesday morning while they battled flames on the roof of Boone Hospital.

Crews got the fire under control about 45 minutes after closing the road between Old Highway 63 and William Street.

It took crews several hours to overhaul the outside of the building to prevent falling debris and electrical hazards.

A large portion of the brick was removed and firefighters were able to extinguish any smoldering embers.

“We’re taking taking some extra precautions because the area in question is up so high,” Brad Fraizer with the Columbia Fire Department said. “There’s falling brick and other safety issues we need to consider.”

The whole process took about 5 hours, with both east and westbound lanes of Broadway closed for about 2 and a half hours.

Boone Hospital said all power was restored and the building is stable. Officials said there is no damage estimate at this time, but no patient care areas were affected by the fire.

So far the cause of the fire is unknown. No injuries have been reported.

Columbia Water and Light said the fire did not cause any other electrical problems within the city.