Monday Morning Church Fire In Downtown Columbia

The Columbia Fire Department responded to a reported commercial fire in the downtown area of 204 South Ninth Street on Monday morning around 4am. Crews arrived and found a large amount of smoke in the multipurpose area of the Missouri United Methodist Church. The building’s fire sprinkler system had extinguished a large portion of the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire was determined to have originated on the stage and the cause of the fire is believed to have started as a result of the church’s audio equipment. Initial damage is estimated at $200,000.