COLUMBIA, S.C. — At least 16 units are damaged and over two dozen are displaced after a large apartment fire in Columbia Tuesday afternoon.
Chief Aubrey Jenkins with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department said the fire was at the Columbia Rising Apartments, which are off North Main near Monticello Road. Jenkins said the fire started around 2 p.m.
Dispatch called for what's known as a second-alarm, which means more units were called to the scene because of the extent of the blaze. Jenkins said the fire quickly spread through the roof of the building and when crews arrived there was heavy smoke and flames.
Firefighters said two people inside the building were transported by EMS for smoke inhalation but there were no other injuries. He said they are also checking to see if there was anyone who may have been inside the units, but he said there's no indication there was.
According to Jenkins, eight units that were damaged are a total loss. He said a firewall, however, stopped the damage from being even worse.
"Had it not been for that firewall, we probably would have had fire over the entire area of the apartment," he said.
Jenkins, however, said the apartment did not have sprinklers.
The Red Cross is assisting people displaced by the fire.