Columbia church fire cause by candle, not sound equipment
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The report on the United Methodist Church fire revealed it was caused by a candle and not sound equipment like the Columbia Fire Department originally said.
In July, ABC 17 reported on the fire that occurred at the United Methodist Church. Initially, the Columbia Fire Department stated that the fire resulted from a mishap involving sound equipment.
The fire investigation report obtained by ABC 17 News shows that a church representative reached out to the fire department after the fire. The representative said that surveillance video showed fire from a lit candle slowly spreading around 3:45 a.m. The church representative told the investigator that the candle had been lit during an earlier service but never put out. The fire eventually triggered the sprinklers, according to the report.
The fire caused roughly $200,000 in damage.
Firefighters got the call just after 4 a.m. due to the smoke alarm going off at the church. The first arriving units reported heavy smoke coming from the multipurpose room on the second floor when they opened the doors to the room, but later found the fire put out.
On Oct. 24, the church applied to receive the city's permit to undergo the repairs the fire caused, and it was issued the following day. The church's detailed permit for the City of Columbia reveals a focus on restoring the community room and improving the bathrooms to resume church services and the 12-step program.
The Director of Marketing and Communications of Missouri United Methodist Church said the church is working to finish renovating the Community room in time for the holiday season.
