After Babcock Building blaze, police search for persons of interest seen before fire

In the aftermath of the devastating fire at the Babcock Building, the Columbia Police Department said it’s looking to identify at least six persons of interest.

Police said the people were seen on surveillance footage in the Bull Street area at the time of the fire that resulted in the building’s signature cupola dome collapsing.

Investigators want to identify and locate the people who could have information about the cause of the fire, police said in a news release. The people were seen in a red truck, according to the release.

Fire engulfed all three floors of the vacant building and gutted the interior, according to Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins. The three-alarm blaze was the “largest structure fire we’ve had in several years,” Jenkins said.

More than 50 firefighters, using 14 firetrucks, along with support from the Fort Jackson Fire Department worked to extinguish the massive and quickly-spreading flames for more than 10 hours, according to the release.

Two Columbia firefighters suffered minor injuries when debris from the building fell on top of them, police said. One firefighter who was taken to a local hospital has been treated and released, according to the release.

It’s estimated the fire likely caused millions of dollars’ worth of damages to the landmark building, police said.

The Babcock Building was built in stages beginning in 1857 as the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum. The Renaissance revival-style, 254,022-square-foot building has 1,100 windows and 20-inch thick masonry walls.

The building was known for its iconic red cupola, which could be seen from Bull Street, or by drivers heading toward it on Elmwood Street, at the end of Interstate 126. The Babcock Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, before it was vacated in the 1990s.

The Babcock Building was slated to be redeveloped into nearly 200 apartments by Clachan Properties, a Virginia company that specializes in historical renovation.

The restoration plans of the iconic building were seen as a cornerstone in the development of BullStreet District.

Iconic dome destroyed

The fire burned the historic building’s roof, including the iconic dome and caused several structural collapses inside, according to the release.

“Clachan Properties, which owns the building and specializes in reviving large-scale historic properties, was in the final stages of preparation to renovate it for future generations. Site cleanup had begun,” Robert Hughes, president of Hughes Development Corporation said in a statement from the BullStreet District.

It was about 6:30 a.m. when police said an officer on patrol in the 2100 block of Bull Street detected a strong odor of smoke and saw a dense layer of fog hovering in the area.

Firefighters found flames coming from the basement area, and the origin of the fire is being investigated by the Richland County Fire Marshal, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives , in addition to the police and fire department.

“Though the iconic dome and the central portions of the interior are destroyed, we are thankful that the Columbia Fire Department was able to contain most of the damage to the central portion of the building,” Hughes said. “We are working closely with various law enforcement agencies to help determine the cause of the fire and will support Clachan as they move forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 911, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 7:57 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