Month: January 2026

Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department says a large fire started Friday in the basement of a home in the 4300 block of Langham Drive.

Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said firefighters were called to the neighborhood just after 11 a.m. after a neighbor saw smoke coming from the back of the house. Schaeffer said CFD arrived within five minutes of the initial call, and the fire had already spread to the first floor of the home.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw firefighters cutting holes into the roof to create vents.

Schaeffer said the cold temperatures posed a special set of challenges when battling the blaze.

“This is very difficult to navigate fighting fire when it’s 5 degrees outside,” Schaeffer said. “The challenges that can happen when you’re working in this type of environment. One is falls, so we’re trying to keep the water and ice that’s accumulated down to a minimum and then just taking care of each other because it is so cold and they’re covered and wet.”

Schaeffer said no one was inside the home and no one was hurt while fighting the fire, though CFD later wrote in a social media post that a dog, bird and fish died in the fire.

The fire was ruled accidental and started in a clothes dryer, the post says.

“Crews first initiated an offensive attack, fighting the flames from inside the home. Due to the level of toxic smoke and heat in the home, firefighters were evacuated from the structure at 11:43 a.m. to reassess the situation and ensure the safety of the structure before initiating a defensive attack. The fire was under control in approximately 35 minutes,” the post says.

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Alison Patton

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KMIZ)

Osage Beach Officer Phylicia Carson died during a police chase in August 2024, and over a year later, the city is holding a bridge dedication ceremony in her honor.

The Officer Phylicia Carson Memorial Bridge on Highway 54 runs over the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks. The Missouri General Assembly voted to name the span in her honor.

The dedication ceremony will take place at Osage Beach City Hall at 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to a city press release. Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to speak alongside Mayor Michael Harmison and state Rep. Jeff Vernetti (R-Camdenton).

Vernetti said a sign has already been posted on either side of the highway letting people know who the bridge is dedicated to.

Carson’s family was at the ceremony on Friday, and they got a replica of the sign and also cut a ribbon. Her husband, Grant Carson, did not want to do an interview.

“This bridge stands as a testament to Officer Carson’s bravery and the profound impact she had on our city,” Harmison says in the release. “We are honored to have Governor Kehoe and Representative Vernetti join us as we ensure her memory is etched into the history of Osage Beach forever.”

Kehoe told ABC 17 News after the ceremony that the state has been trying to help out the Carsons.

“We want to make sure as many of those organizations can help that family out, really honor the mother and help get these kids to a life where they can be productive in our society,” Kehoe said. “It’s what we should do as a state in the country is to help these families out.”

Vernetti said the bridge is a way to always honor Carson.

“I wanted to honor her service or sacrifice,” he said. “It’s always a tragic thing to lose someone in the line of duty but trying to think of the best possible way that we can honor her.”

Carson was chasing a suspect when her patrol car skidded off the road and hit a tree. The car caught on fire, and Carson was later pronounced dead at the scene.

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