COLUMBIA — A backyard fire in northern Columbia caused extensive smoke damage to a home Sunday afternoon.
No one was injured in the fire at 6020 N. Wagon Trail Road that occurred at about 2 p.m., Boone County Fire Protection District officials said.
A barbecue grill near the house’s porch was responsible for the fire, said homeowner Curtis Smith, who was grilling a roast and working outside at the time.
“With the combination of personnel and the station so close, we were here within minutes,” Fire District Division Chief Chuck Leake said.
Station 5 is about a half-mile from the site of the fire.
Firefighters extinguished the fire in about 15 minutes.
Before firefighters arrived, Smith and neighbor Bill Wyttenbuck said they attempted to put out the fire with buckets of water, but the flames quickly spread.
The porch and adjoining kitchen were most damaged, Leake said. Smith was the only person home at the time.