Popular Columbia strip club Platinum Plus significantly damaged in fire

A popular Columbia strip club suffered significant damage in an early morning fire Wednesday.

Around 5:30 a.m. the Columbia Fire Department responded to a fire at Platinum Plus, located in the 300 block of Jacob Road, which is not far from Greystone Boulevard and visible from I-126.

The club was not open at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

An off-duty training captain saw a glow coming from the club’s roof as he was driving on I-126, according to CFD Capt. Ernest “Brick” Lewis. The training captain investigated and reported the fire.

It was a heavy fire on the roof and spreading rapidly, Lewis said.

The blaze at Platinum Plus was classified as a two-alarm fire because it required extra manpower to fight it, and also because of the unusual type of structure of the building, which was so split up inside, according to Lewis.

Once it was determined no one was inside of the club, all operations were done externally, said Lewis, adding the fire department used aerial techniques to battle the flames on the roof.

It took one hour to get the fire under control and get inside of the club, Lewis said.

The damage was significant, including heavy fire and water damage to the roof, in addition to smoke damage inside.

“I don’t see them reopening, not with that structure,” Lewis said.

The business was closed at the time of the fire, according to Lewis. Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins said in a news conference that the last person to leave the club was seen around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Richland County Fire Marshal.

It was too early to say if there was anything to say if the cause of the fire was suspicious, or not suspicious, Lewis said.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Popular Columbia strip club Platinum Plus significantly damaged in fire."