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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;"> 201 Orr Street
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Columbia, MO 65201</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">March 8, 2026</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Skyler Clark
<br />Public Information Specialist
<br />Columbia Fire Department
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.874.7609
<br />Skyler.Clark@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Columbia Fire Department responds to residential structure fire, March 7</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display: inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Saturday, March 7, at 8:14 a.m., Columbia Fire Department (CFD) companies were dispatched to a residential structure fire in the 1500 block of Vandiver Drive.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CFD arrived within six minutes to find heavy smoke coming from a trailer. Firefighters immediately entered the structure to search for residents and the source of the smoke. Crews located heavy fire in the interior of the structure and successfully extinguished the flames within approximately five minutes of arrival.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The only occupant who was home at the time of the fire had evacuated the structure prior to CFD arrival and did not sustain any injuries. One cat was located in the structure with smoke inhalation injuries and was treated on the scene by responders before being transported to an animal hospital by Animal Control.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A total of six fire companies with 22 personnel responded to the scene.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Columbia Fire Marshals have conducted an investigation into the origin and cause of the fire and determined it to be accidental. </span></p></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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