In what was a very busy night 3rd Shift firefighters with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department responded to two 2-Alarm structure fires in the course of just hours on Saturday February 1, 2025.
The first fire swept through much of an apartment building near Garners Ferry Road just before midnight. Crews responded to Hampton Greene Apartments off of Gills Creek Parkway.
While en route to the scene Tower 9 saw a plume of smoke in the air and the crew called for a working fire dispatch. Firefighters arrived on scene to find heavy fire coming from one building and flames quickly spreading through the roof. This prompted officers on scene to call for a 2nd Alarm – dispatching more crews.
All occupants escaped the building safely and there were no injuries. The fire was ultimately brought under control and extinguished. Nineteen tenants of the complex were left displaced.
Following an investigation by the CRFD Fire Marshals Office the cause of the fire went undetermined due to the extent of damages to the building.
Later in the morning on February 1 a second 2-Alarm fire broke out at an abandoned building in downtown Columbia.
