Jefferson City has seen its fair share of deliberately set fires in vacant buildings. And it’s an even bigger problem in Columbia. Fire Chief Brian Schaffer says 67 – ‘warming fires’ have been started by the homeless. Columbia Police Officers Association’s Matt Nichols says he’s not surprised, saying officers are at risk just like firefighters who respond …
The Fire Chief told the Columbia Council that those fires are responsible for nearly $700,000 in property damage this year.