Separate fires in Columbia leave 10 people without their homes, officials say
In less than two hours Saturday night, 10 people were forced out of their homes by a pair of unrelated fires, South Carolina officials said.
The Columbia Fire Department extinguished blazes at two burning homes that are separated by about 1.5 miles.
Firefighters quickly brought both fires under control, department spokesman Mike DeSumma told The State. But both homes suffered so much damage that the families had to find other places to live.
At about 6:30 p.m., firefighters responded to a call at a home on Fallstaff Road, DeSumma said.
No injuries were reported, according to DeSumma. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Richland County Fire Marshal.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross of South Carolina provided financial assistance to the family of five that was displaced by the fire. The money was used for food, clothing, and shelter, according to the American Red Cross.
Close to 90 minutes later, the Columbia Fire Department said it responded to another blaze at a home in northeast Richland County.
At about 8 p.m., firefighters went to a home on Gingerbread Court, where they discovered heavy fire coming from the rear of the property, DeSumma said.
As was the case in the earlier fire, all of the people in the burning building made it out safely, and there were no injuries.
Firefighters did rescue an unconscious dog from the home and were able to revive the pet, DeSumma said.
The fire is estimated to have caused about $50,000 in damages to the home, and the five residents were displaced, according to the fire department.
The damage was caused by a fire that started in the kitchen, DeSumma said.
These were not the only fires reported in the Midlands over the weekend.
A house fire Friday on South Lake Drive in Lexington County left a family of five without a home, according to the American Red Cross.
There were two separate fires in Sumter County, including a Friday morning blaze on West Moore Street that displaced a family of two, followed by a Sunday night fire that left two people who lived at a house on Highway 15 without their home, the American Red Cross said.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 10:41 AM.
