Body found in rubble of Columbia house fire day after Thanksgiving

Firefighters found a body Friday in the rubble of a house fire in Columbia, according to investigators.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office said the body was found after a house burned on Moolah Drive, off Percival Road near Interstate 77 in northeast Columbia.

“The identity of the victim will be released pending family notification. We are working with the Columbia Fire Department to fully investigate this matter,” Coroner Naida Rutherford said.

The Columbia Fire Department was dispatched at about 9 p.m. to the fire. When firefighters arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames, according to the department. Firefighters got the fire under control, entered the house and discovered the body.

At least five other people were living in the house and displaced, according to the department.

The Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

This story was originally published November 27, 2021 at 11:32 AM.

David Travis Bland

The State

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David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription