UPDATE: ‘Improperly discarded smoking materials’ causes fire outside hotel in east Columbia

UPDATE 4/30: Columbia firefighters said “improperly discarded smoking materials” caused mulch to catch fire outside the Best Western Plus Hotel Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters said they were called to the hotel just before 1 p.m. Sunday for reports of an outside fire.

Crews arrived to the hotel just five minutes after being dispatched and found an area of mulch on fire in the parking lot area that extended to an outside wall of the hotel, firefighters said.

Firefighters said the outside fire was extinguished quickly with a pre-connected hose line. Crews then went inside the hotel and found that the fire had spread to the inside wall adjacent to the outside fire area.

Firefighters were able to remove a portion of the wall and extinguish the fire, firefighters said.

Firefighters said hotel customers and staff were briefly evacuated during the incident. Because the damage was minor, everyone was able to return to the hotel.

The Columbia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Division said the damages are estimated at $5,000.

Firefighters said no one was reportedly injured during the incident. A total of eight Columbia Fire units responded to the scene.

ORIGINAL: Firefighters said an outside fire spread to the Best Western Plus on Clark Lane Sunday afternoon damaging the exterior of the building.

The Columbia Fire Department was called to the hotel located behind Bob Evans and Steak n’ Shake just before 1 p.m.

Two holes could be seen on the building after firefighters left the area.

The hotel said it was still open for the evening, but some rooms were not available.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the Columbia Fire Department to find out what may have started the fire and if anyone was hurt.