Emergency personnel responded about 11:20 a.m. Monday to smoke in the building at Hope Christian Church located at 9273 Coach Stop Road off Route 3 between Columbia and Waterloo.

The building, which also houses Monroe County Christian School and Hope Food Pantry, was evacuated as firefighters located the source of the smoke.

Monroe County Christian School notified parents via text that the smoke was due to an electrical fire near the food pantry area of the building.

“All students were evacuated safely and have now returned to classrooms,” the school stated in its text. “The fire department has completed a walk-through and is still here, along with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.  All students and staff are safe.”

In addition to the MCSD, responding agencies included the Columbia and Waterloo fire departments and Columbia EMS.

Columbia Assistant Fire Chief Jim Broshears said a group of extension cords were on fire behind a desk in an office room between the food pantry and kitchen at the church. Thankfully, he said personnel on site were mostly able to knock down the flames with a fire extinguisher prior to fire department arrival.

“We pretty much had to ventilate the whole building,” Broshears said.

Firefighters remained on scene until about noon.