[Press Release] : Firefighters respond to early morning blaze in vacant house

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Battalion Chief Gary L. Warren Jr. - (573) 499-7035

Firefighters respond to early morning blaze in vacant house

COLUMBIA, MO (July 27, 2008) - Firefighters responded to a residential
structure fire in a vacant home around 1:02 a.m. at 5 Third Ave. in
central Columbia.

Fire crews arrived within five minutes to find heavy black smoke and
flames coming from the bedroom windows on the east side of the house.
The heat from the fire was so intense that the siding melted and a
window broke on an adjacent vacant house (7 Third Ave.). A crew and hose
line had to be dedicated to exposure protection to keep the neighboring
house from catching fire. 

Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire by forcing entry through
(kicking in) the front door, which was locked at the time. Once inside,
they encountered heavy black smoke and high heat during extinguishment.
Fires were found in two of the three bedrooms on the east and north east
side of the house. The fire was “knocked down” in less than 10
minutes, but not before lapping over the eaves and into the attic.

Fire Investigators said the house was recently vacated by a tenant
Saturday morning. The house is owned by Hendrens Brothers Reality and is
believed to be a total loss with damages estimated around $150,000
initially. The cause and origin remain under investigation at this time.


No one was injured during this incident. The role of smoke detectors is
not known at this time. Fourteen firefighters on one snozzle, one quint,
one engine, one ladder truck, one rescue squad along with several chief
officers responded to the scene.

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