One dead in Columbia house fire

Columbia firefighters found a person dead inside a burning home Thursday evening.

Joel G. Taylor, a 59-year-old Columbia resident, was identified as the person whose body was discovered inside the burning building, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said.

The Columbia Fire Department said it responded around 5:15 p.m. to call about a house fire on Abingdon Road in north Columbia. When fire crews arrived on scene, they “found the home fully involved with heavy fire coming from multiple windows,” according to a post on social media.

Once firefighters were able to gain entry to the home, they found Taylor inside.

The fire was eventually suppressed and no other injuries were reported in the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire marshal’s office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 8:47 AM.

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription