Fire reported at new elementary school in southwest Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Firefighters were seen at the site of Columbia’s new elementary school on Thursday afternoon after a fire was reported.

First responders were called to the 5400 block of South Sinclair Road, the site of the new Eagle Bluffs Elementary School that is expected to open in 2026.  

Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News in a text message that the fire appeared to have started from an HVAC unit on the roof.

“We don’t have additional details or a cause at this point, but will work with the contractor and supplier to determine cause and next steps for repairs,” Baumstark wrote. “The school construction has been going well and has been ahead of schedule. It’s not slated to open until fall of 2026.”

All construction workers were able to get out of the building and no injuries were reported, according to a press release from the Columbia Fire Department. Columbia Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of the fire, the release says.

"Incidents like this reinforce the importance of having - and practicing - an emergency plan at every home, workplace and school," the release says.

Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer provided additional details on the fire response, describing a tense initial few minutes as firefighters worked to control the blaze.

“We searched the building.  We stretched hose lines up to the top floor, fought the fire from below, and also put people on the roof with our ladder companies and were able to fight the fire and make sure that it didn't extend past that on the inside,” Schaeffer told ABC 17 News. 

Schaeffer said navigating an active construction site comes with challenges.

“With a construction site, you often have a number of contractors. There's not always one person that's in charge of the entire site. There's usually multiple supervisors that are present, so we had to account for everybody that was there,” Schaeffer said.

The fire produced black, acrid smoke due to burning electrical wiring and ductwork near the HVAC system. Schaeffer emphasized crews acted quickly to keep the damage from spreading inside the building.

“Oftentimes, fires start of the roof will burn low and burn horizontally into the attic spaces and truss and then you have a structural problem and then subsequently a fire in other areas of the building,” Schaffer said.

Schaeffer also noted the broader impact of protecting a school facility under construction:

“This is what we would consider community infrastructure. It’s very important to the neighborhood — certainly important to all the taxpayers,” he said. “This is tens of millions of dollars of infrastructure here, and we saved the majority of it. The only damage right now is limited to the air handling system.”