[Press Release] : Mid-morning fire damages southeast Columbia home

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

You have received this message because you subscribe to the City of
Columbia's Web Mail service. To view linked material click on provided
links or copy and paste them into your browser's address menu.
______________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chief Steven Sapp - (573) 874-7557

Mid-morning fire damages southeast Columbia home

COLUMBIA, MO (May 20, 2006) -- Columbia firefighters responded to a
report of a fire at 816 Bucks Run, at 10:27 a.m. on Saturday, May 20.
Upon arrival, firefighters discovered fire and smoke pouring from the
home.

Response to this house fire consisted of three engines, one ladder, one
rescue squad, two incident command vehicles, a fire investigative unit,
and one medic unit as a precautionary measure. 

Columbia firefighters discovered fire in the kitchen of the home and
were able to extinguish the fire but not before moderate to heavy damage
occurred to the kitchen and light to moderate smoke damage occurred to
the rest of the home. 

The home is owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bechtell. The
Bechtells' daughter was home at the time of the fire and turned on the
oven to preheat it to begin preparing lunch. Unknown was the fact that
some plastic kitchenware in a cardboard box was stored in the oven. When
the Bechtells daughter opened the oven, she was met with heavy fire and
was then unable to close the oven door. She exited the home and called
9-1-1 and waited outside for the arrival of fire personnel. 

Fire investigators were called to the scene to determine the cause and
origin of the fire. Investigators determined that the storage of
combustible materials in the oven caused the fire and damage was
estimated at $60,000. No one was injured during this event. 

- 30 -
______________________________________________________

Archived press releases can be viewed online at: 
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Public_Comm/Public_Information/Press_Releases/

______________________________________________________

If you would like to stop receiving messages, modify list options, or
subscribe to other lists visit the Web Mail section of our Web site and
follow the instructions provided. 

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Web_Mail/index.php