Flames shoot through roof as fire damages mall in Columbia, officials say

A fire damaged businesses at a shopping mall in Columbia on Monday night, according to the Irmo Fire District.

The two-alarm commercial structure fire was at the strip mall in the 3600 block of Bush River Road, the fire district said in a news release. That’s next to Bursdowne Road, near the intersection with St. Andrews Road.

No injuries were reported, according to the release.

Information if any of the businesses at the mall were still open when the fire occurred was not available. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, one of the businesses in the shopping center, lists that it’s open until 9 p.m., according to the store’s website.

In addition to the Irmo Fire District, crews with Lexington County Fire Service, West Columbia Fire Department, and Cayce Fire Department also responded to emergency calls about the blaze.

“The large number of firefighters that responded saved the bulk of the strip mall, preventing the fire from spreading and limiting damage to a few occupancies on one end,” the fire district said in the release.

There was no word which businesses were damaged, but video of the fire shows flames shooting through the roof at the end of the mall where Sugar Daddy’s Jazz Cafe and the Hair Power hairstylist shop are located.

Information about the extent of the damages, and if any businesses are considered a total loss, was not available.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to the release. Information about where the fire originated was not available.

The fire district did not say if foul play was suspected.

This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 7:44 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription