New Year’s Day house fire displaces another 16 in Columbia subdivision

A fire destroyed a house and damaged another Thursday night in northeast Richland County, displacing 16 people, according to the Columbia Fire Department.

It was the second night in a row where firefighters responded to a house fire in The Summit subdivision in northeast Columbia.

Nine people resided in the gutted home, and seven lived in the damaged house next door, the Columbia Fire Department posted on Facebook. There were no injuries in the fire, according to the department.

Firefighters discovered a home on Hidden Pines Road “fully involved” in flames shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday, the Columbia Fire Department posted on a social media. Flames were spreading to a neighboring home, the department said.

The initial home was gutted, the department posted. Officials “saved” the neighboring home, according to the Columbia Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The night before, several homes were damaged in a fire in the same subdivision, leaving seven residents displaced.

This story was originally published January 2, 2026 at 8:56 AM.