Columbia firefighters battled blaze in park near Five Points
Columbia firefighters were called to a fire Friday morning at a building in a local park, Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Aubrey Jenkins said.
Firefighters were responding to the blaze at the Garden Clubs of Greater Columbia building on Park Circle at about 10:20 a.m., when The State contacted Jenkins.
As a large plume of smoke rose above the building, five firetrucks and other first responders scrambled to fight the blaze. Pickens Street from Blossom Street to Wheat was blocked off.
Part of the roof of the building burned away, so fire crews were pulled out due to worries about structural integrity, according to a tweet from Columbia Fire. No one was in the building during the blaze.
The back side of the building on the right sustained severe damage.
The fire was put out at about 11:45 a.m., according to a tweet from Columbia Fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Initially, Jenkins reported that the fire was at the Lourie Center.
Jenkins said he could provide no other information at this time.
The Garden Club of Greater Columbia is located in Maxcy Gregg Park near Five Points and the University of South Carolina.
The club was founded in 1926 to promote gardening and civic beautification, according to its website. It also sponsors plantings across the city and works to conserve local flora.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published December 21, 2018 at 10:27 AM.
