Fire ignites apartment building on Waverly Court for second time
A fire, which resulted in no injuries, was the second to ignite the apartment building at 1909 Waverly Court Wednesday morning, according to a news release from the Columbia Fire Department.
Laura Rezek, the owner of apartment, woke to heavy smoke in the apartment and saw an orange glow coming from her bathroom floor. She was able to safely evacuate the apartment and call emergency personnel, the news release stated.
Smoke alarms were present in the apartment but did not operate properly.
The cause of fire was reportedly smoking materials being improperly discarded in the bathroom wastebasket, the news release stated.
Crews were able to control the flames within ten minutes. The bathroom sustained moderate fire damage, and there was significant smoke damage throughout the entire apartment. Damage is estimated at $5,000, the news release stated.
The Red Cross is providing emergency housing assistance for the residents of the apartment.
A fire previously damaged the same apartment building on July 17, 2008. An unattended barbecue grill resulted in damage to apartments 7 and 3, as well as a deck, the news release stated.