Owner rescues dogs from north Columbia house fire

Jeremy Spillman was leaving his house on the city's north side on Thursday morning when he noticed smoke in the windows. He rescued his two dogs from the basement, and called for help.

The home, at 5107 Hatteras Drive, suffered smoke and fire damage.

His wife and children were not home at the time of the fire, and no one was hurt.

After Spillman reported the fire at 10:54 a.m., the Columbia Fire Department arrived within five minutes and had the fire under control in a half-hour, Capt. John Metz said. Six firefighting units responded, including a ladder truck, three pump trucks and one unit from Boone County Fire Protection District.

As of Thursday afternoon, the fire inspector had not yet determined a cause. Exact damage was also unknown, although it was clear that the supports that held up the first floor of the house collapsed, and the floor itself had weakened.

Spillman said he is the original owner of the house, which was built within the past four years.