At 8:41 p.m. Friday evening the Columbia Fire Department responded to a reported commercial structure fire at the Cosmo Self Storage Units at 1410 Creasy Springs Road. Multiple 9-1-1 callers reported smoke coming from one of the storage buildings.

Columbia Firefighters arrived on the scene at 8:46 p.m. to find heavy smoke coming from an approximately 200' x 50' single-story storage building. The building contained approximately 51 individual storage units.

To attack the fire, firefighters had to use metal-cutting saws and bolt cutters to force entry into many of the storage units. Because of the difficult access issues, and many of the units packed tightly with personal property, it took fire fighters approximately 45 minutes to bring the fire under control.

Approximately eleven of the 51 units in the building sustained significant fire damage. Several additional units sustained water and smoke damage. The cause of the fire is not known and remains under investigation. Because of the large number and varying nature of the contents, the Columbia Fire Department is not able to determine a dollar loss estimate.

Four fire engines, a ladder, and a rescue squad responded to the blaze. There were no injuries. Creasy Springs Road between the Business Loop and Texas Avenue was shut down for approximately three hours while fire crews were on the scene. 

Photos accompany this release.