Columbia home likely total loss after Sunday morning fire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A house in east Columbia is likely a total loss after a Sunday morning fire, according to Columbia Fire Department spokesperson Skyler Clark.
An ABC 17 News reporter saw at least three CFD fire engines and one Boone County Fire Protection District fire engine around 5:30 a.m. on Tara Lane near the Hominy Creek Trail. Clark said no injuries were reported.
Columbia residents Elijah Tucker, Peyton Mautin and Daxton Hansen were in the area and called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the home.
"We see a giant cloud of black smoke, I immediately get on my phone like, 'Call 911, call 911,'" Tucker said.
"Me and Peyton took it upon ourselves to run down here and check out the flames closer, and we ended up running up to the hill and checking if anybody was in the house," Hansen said.
The group said the home looked fully engulfed, and they stayed nearby to warn neighbors.
"I was concerned about the embers from the fire catching on to the trees and maybe taking down the power lines, and that as well as the embers carrying far distances and hitting maybe a trailer in that trailer park back there," Hansen said.
According to Clark, getting to the scene of the fire also proved difficult. Fire hydrants were scarce in the area, and a bridge to the home was too narrow for initial fire crews.
CFD had to call the Boone County Fire Protection District for mutual aid. Once more units arrived, smaller brush fire trucks were used to get to the home.
"There was a bridge that won't allow us to move large apparatus up here, so by the time we were able to make access, it immediately became a defensive attack," Clark said.
"Not too long after the firemen got here, and then we proceeded to show them how to get up there so they can do their job," Mautin said.
Because the home is expected to be a total loss, Clark said crews switched their focus to preventing the fire from spreading.
The Columbia Fire Marshall is working to inspect the building.
Check back for updates.
