Heavy fire seen coming from house that partially collapsed, SC officials say
Members of the Columbia Fire Department were greeted by flames blasting out of a South Carolina home Monday morning, officials said. The burning building was the latest incident area firefighters responded to since a winter storm brought snow and freezing cold temperatures to the Midlands over the weekend.
Monday’s fire caused heavy damage to a home in northeast Richland County, the fire department said on social media.
The burning building was on Legion Drive, according to the fire department. It was about 10:15 a.m. when firefighters responded to the blaze, and as they arrived they saw heavy fire coming from the garage area and thick smoke, the fire department said.
The fire caused a storage area above the garage to collapse, according to the fire department. Information about how long it took to extinguish the fire was not available.
All occupants of the home safely escaped the burning home and there were no injuries, the fire department said. Two people were left displaced by the damaging fire, according to the fire department.
Information about the cause of the fire was not available, and its origin is being investigated by the Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office.
This has been a busy time for firefighters in the Columbia area. Several local fire departments have reported responding to help drivers who have crashed and run off the road because of slippery conditions caused by snow and black ice.
There have also been some fires of note.
Restaurant fire
On Saturday, the Columbia Fire Department said it responded to a morning blaze at the Hibachi Express restaurant at 2313 North Beltline Blvd. in Forest Acres. The restaurant was open at the time, and all employees were able to make it out safely, according to the fire department.
Investigators determined that the fire “got started with a heating device that was placed on the floor,” the fire department said of the building that was significantly damaged.
Apartment fire
Early Sunday morning, a massive fire tore through a building at Bent Tree Apartments off of Zimalcrest Drive, according to the fire department. Like the fire at the restaurant, this was a two-alarm fire.
Firefighters responded to the apartment complex at about 1:15 a.m., and were joined by members of the Irmo Fire District. The fire broke through the roof of the apartment building before it was extinguished, the Columbia Fire Department said.
All occupants of the building got out safely, but one person had to jump from a balcony to escape the burning building, the fire department said. That person was taken to an area hospital to be treated for injuries but is expected to be okay, according to the fire department.
There were no other injuries but more than 20 residents were displaced by the fire which is being investigated by the Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office.
House fire
On Sunday afternoon, members of Dutch Fork Fire Rescue responded to structure fire in the Ashford Subdivision. The Irmo Fire District also responded to assist and could see fire coming through the roof, with a collapse reported in the garage area, Dutch Fork officials said.
No injuries were reported as crews worked quickly to bring the incident under control, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Dutch Fork officials.
There was no word if foul play was suspected in any of the fires, or if any were the result of the chilling cold weather.
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This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 12:56 PM.
