Columbia Planned Parenthood reopens after suspicious fire
The Columbia Planned Parenthood reopened on Tuesday after it was closed for more than a week because of a suspicious fire, according to a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman.
The Columbia Police Department and the FBI are investigating the fire as a possible hate crime. The fire broke out just after 4 a.m. on Feb. 10. A person wearing dark colored clothing was seen on surveillance video walking onto the Planned Parenthood property on Providence Road.
The same person was seen leaving Planned Parenthood on foot as smoke emanated from the facility. The Columbia Fire Department responded to the scene, but the fire was extinguished by sprinklers by the time they got there. No one was in the building at the time.
The Columbia Planned Parenthood had some issues with a pipe on Monday night, the spokeswoman said. However, it did not prevent the business from opening on Tuesday.
The FBI is also offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information on the incident. Anyone with information about the fire at Columbia’s Planned Parenthood is urged to call the FBI Jefferson City Office at (573) 636-8814 or submit a tip online at fbi.gov/tips.
