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COLUMBIA - A small fire caused minimal damage in a Columbia apartment near the intersection of Hitt Street and University Avenue late Friday morning.

According to a press release from the City of Columbia, the Columbia Fire Department responded to a structure fire at the rear of Dumas Apartments at 1005 University Avenue at approximately 10:02 a.m. Friday. Fire fighters found a fire in the exterior wall of a first floor apartment and extinguished it.

Jack Richardson, owner of the building, had been using a propane torch to remove paint from the outside of the building when he saw a small fire where he was working. Richardson and another worker used a dry chemical fire extinguisher and garden hose to extinguish most of the fire.

Columbia Assistant Fire Marshal, Lt. Bran Davison says the propane torch ignited combustible building materials and started the fire. The damage is estimated at $2,000 and the interior damage is minimal. The building was evacuated for 45 minutes and there were no injuries reported. Richardson says he affected apartment should be inhabitable by this evening.