Columbia firefighters work to extinguish business on fire
UPDATE 2/6: The Columbia Fire Department released more details about the fire on Tuesday afternoon.
ORIGINAL STORY: Firefighters said the fire originated in an office on the second floor of the structure but the cause of the fire has not been determined.
Officials estimate the damages to be $75,000.
Columbia firefighters said they responded to the 200 block of Austin Avenue early Sunday morning for a two-story building on fire.
Brad Fraizer, assistant chief for the Columbia Fire Department, said that when crews first arrived around 4:50 a.m., they saw heavy smoke coming from the building. He said once they got closer, they found heavy fire on the second floor.
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Fraizer said crews called a second alarm shortly after arriving, meaning they requested assistance from more crews. He said a total of 12 units responded to the scene.
The fire has been extinguished, but crews continue to try and find any possible fire spots that may be hidden, Fraizer said. He said a fire investigator is at the scene and, once crews are finished, will start investigating how the fire started.
One of the business owners on the second floor of the building said no one was inside when the fire started. Fraizer said there were no injuries reported.
Employees in the building said a cat, Bubby, died in the fire.
This story will update once more information becomes available.
