[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Ear; y Morning Fire Damages East Campus Home - Displaces Residents

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Battalion Chief Steven Sapp, Fire Marshal
(573)-874-7557  Office  M-F  8-5
(573)-499-7035  Media Pager - Enter # to call, no voice mail

Ear;y Morning Fire Damages East Campus Home - Displaces Residents

COLUMBIA, MO (August 20, 2011) - Columbia Fire Fighters were dispatched to 1403 Bass Ave at 2:59 am on Saturday, August 20, 2011 for a report of a house fire. A pedestrian in the area stated to 9-1-1 that the front porch of the house was on fire and they were unsure if anyone was inside.

Columbia Police Officers in the area arrived first and advised that the front porch and front roof were heavily involved in fire. Neighbors had alerted the residents, who were asleep, and everyone had evacuated the residence safety as fire units arrived.

Fire fighters were able to extiniguish the fire in under 15 minutes. Fire had spread into the attic and one of the front rooms. Smoke and some heat damage is previlant in the house. Initial damage estimates are between $25-30,000. As the fire began outside of the house, smoke alarms were not the first notification of a fire in progress. It has not been determined if there were working smoke alarms in the residence or what role they played. 

Fire investigators are on the scene working to determine the origin and cause of the fire.

The residents will be staying with friends locally until they can return to the home.

As thousands of students return to Columbia this weekend, this is an appropriate time to remind those living in off-campus rental housing to ensure that there are working smoke alarms in the home. If the smoke alarms are not working, contact the landlord or property maintenance company imeadiatly to have them repaired or replaced. And of course we encourage everyone to never tamper or disable a smoke alarm.

Additional information will likely be available after noon on Saturday. 

 

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This release has the following attachments:

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/CMS/pressreleases/downloadfile.php?id=35



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