Fire marshal investigating apartment fire in southwest Columbia

The Columbia Fire Department and the Boone County Fire Protection District were called to a structure fire in the 4300 block of Mesa Drive in Columbia Saturday night.

Fire officials said the fire started in one of the ground floor apartments of the quadplex around 9:40 p.m. Saturday. Officials said no one was inside the apartment at the time of the fire, but said the apartment is considered a total loss.

Officials said there was some smoke damage to the apartment above and is likely also going to be uninhabitable.

Mesa Drive was blocked off while crews worked to put out the fire.

As of Saturday morning, firefighters have not determined how the fire started. According to a BCFPD official, there are “suspicious circumstances” surrounding the fire and they are going back to investigate further.