McNally’s fire started in main room of bar, cause still under investigation, report says
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The cause of a fire that severely damaged a well-known bar in downtown Columbia earlier this month is still under investigation, according to a report from the Columbia Fire Department.
McNally’s Irish Pub on Sixth Street caught fire on July 1. The fire started in the main room of the bar, according to the report (which defines it as the dining room/cafeteria, bar and beverage service area). The item that was first ignited appeared to be built-in cabinets, according to the report.
Roughly 50-75% of the damage to the building occurred from flames. The heat source has not been determined. Human factors contributing to the fire starting were listed as “none” in the report.
No smoke detectors were found in the building, the report says. The property was valued at $300,000, $200,000 of which was lost in the fire, according to the report. Another $100,000 in contents were lost in the blaze, the report says.
The pub’s liquor and business licenses expired the day before the fire, according to City of Columbia records. However, according to the Department of Public Safety, businesses still have until July 31 to renew those licenses. Its operating permit was suspended by the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services because of the damage sustained in the fire.