Cause of blaze at condemned housing complex determined, Columbia Fire Department says
A Tuesday morning fire at a condemned public housing complex where two men died in 2019 was caused by homeless squatters, the Columbia Fire Department said.
At about 8 a.m., a structure fire was reported at Allen Benedict Court, fire department spokesman Mike DeSumma said.
The blaze was located in the office building at the complex, according to DeSumma. The fire was quickly brought under control and no injuries were reported, DeSumma said.
Flames primarily damaged the interior of the building, according to the fire department.
An investigation showed the fire was started by homeless occupants who were trying to keep warm, DeSumma said. Temperatures in Columbia hovered in the low 60 early in the morning, according to Weather Underground.
In January 2019, authorities found 61-year-old Calvin Witherspoon Jr. and 30-year-old Derrick Caldwell Roper dead in their respective apartments at Allen Benedict Court, the now condemned public housing complex on Harden Street.
An autopsy revealed that the men died from carbon monoxide poisoning, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said.
After their deaths, an inspection found heightened levels of the gas and other hazardous airbornes in 63 homes of the public housing complex. The gas contamination prompted a full evacuation of the complex’s 26 buildings. The property was condemned and the complex’s 411 residents were ordered to leave.
No criminal charges were filed in the men’s death, but at least five civil lawsuits were filed against the Columbia Housing Authority, claiming the authority ignored warnings about gas leaks that harmed residents.
Staff writer David Travis Bland contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 9:29 AM.
