Hot cooking oil leads to Columbia high-rise apartment fire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Hot oil put into the trash caused a small fire in a Downtown Columbia apartment building Thursday night.
Fire marshals determined the fire at The Rise complex in the 900 block of Locust Street was paper smoldering in the rash after hot cooking oil was poured on it, Columbia Fire Department Katherine Rodriguez wrote in an email.
The building didn't sustain any structural damage, she said. No injuries were reported.
Several Columbia firetrucks were in Downtown Columbia after 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. Crews were called to The Rise apartments in the 900 block of Locust Street at 8:53 p.m.
Crews arrived to the scene within three minutes and found a fire on the third floor, according to an earlier email from Rodriguez. The fire has been extinguished.
Fire Capt. Tommy Goran told ABC 17 News at the scene that firefighters found "smoke and a small fire inside a trash collection room on the third floor."
An ABC 17 News photographer saw seven Columbia Fire Department vehicles and three Columbia Police Department patrol vehicles in front of The Rise apartments.
Residents of the building were told to get out of the building when the fire was initially reported.
"When we got here, the evacuation was already completed, so we didn't really have to evacuate anyone. Everyone was standing outside already. As for an estimate, I would guesstimate 150 to 200 people were standing outside,” Goran said.
