Fire damages part of Columbia’s Epworth Children’s Home

A fire broke out at Epworth Children’s Home on Tuesday, sending pillars of heavy smoke into the air and temporarily closing a section of Sims Avenue.

The fire broke out in a building used for storage around 2 p.m., Columbia Fire Department said. Firefighters quickly contained and extinguished the fire.

Epworth said in a post on Facebook that “everyone is safe,” but that the fire destroyed an untold amount of bedding, toiletries and other supplies for children housed at the facility’s Millwood Avenue campus.

The home asked for donations from an online list of needs at Epworth, which is operated by the United Methodist Church.

On Wednesday, Columbia Fire Department announced the blaze spread from an electrical fire in an air handler above the building.

Reporter Greg Hadley contributed.

This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 6:01 PM.

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription