According to a release from the fire department, at 4:03 am crews were called to Missouri United Methodist Church on Ninth Street where they found a large amount of smoke in the multipurpose area of the building and the automatic fire sprinkler system in the building was already activated.
Fire crews initiated search and rescue operations and began ventilation operations to clear the structure of smoke and ensured the fire was contained.
The fire sprinkler system fully extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported.
Columbia fire marshals determined the fire to have originated on the stage and was caused by a piece of sound equipment.
Everything was brought under control within thirty minutes.
Fire crews remained on the scene until mid-morning to ensure there were no areas of hidden fire remaining and to remove as much smoke and water as possible from the building.
Initial damage was estimated at $200,000.
