$100,000 of damage reported in fire near Business Loop 70 in Columbia, ruled as arson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A fire that was reported Tuesday morning in the 300 block of Nebraska Avenue was determined to be arson, according to a Tuesday afternoon press release from the Columbia Fire Department.

There were no injuries reported at the storage unit where the fire occurred, but the initial damage estimate is $100,000, according to the release. No occupants were in the building, the release states.

The fire was reported at 5:12 a.m., crews arrived five minutes later – according to the release – and was brought under control without a half hour.

According to the release, the crew reported high heat conditions along with flames through the roof of the building.

At the scene, an ABC 17 News reporter saw several firefighters and police responding to the scene and could see and smell heavy smoke.

An ABC 17 News reporter also saw a firefighter grab several tools from a truck, including a chainsaw that ABC 17 News crews could hear in use.

CFD posted on Twitter that it was working on a structure fire in the 300 block of Nebraska Avenue.

The post shows storage units with heavy smoke coming from the building.

Columbia Firefighters currently working a structure fire in the 300 block of Nebraska Avenue. pic.twitter.com/YOuYXjPH1L

— Columbia_Fire (@Columbia_Fire) December 12, 2023

ABC 17 News has reached out to CFD for more information, including the cause of the fire and how much of the building was damaged.