COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two Columbia firefighters have been released from area hospitals after initially being trapped in a partial building collapse while responding to a Thursday morning fire now deemed suspicious.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said deputies originally saw smoke while on patrol along Two Notch Road. An incident report states that the deputies called in firefighters to 8605 Two Notch Road, Club Dough, and soon noticed even more smoke and fire coming from two sides of the building.
The Columbia-Richland Fire Department said crews responded to the scene near Weir Road around 2:20 a.m. Firefighters initially entered the building from the front, but a partial collapse trapped two.
Fire officials said one was able to get himself out of the fire. However, the other needed the help of a rapid intervention team. Fire officials said that the firefighter was able to walk out on his own once the team cleared the way.
One firefighter was taken to an area hospital for treatment, and the one who initially remained trapped was taken to the Augusta Burn Center for evaluation as a precaution. Both have since been released from the hospital, officials say.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Richland County Fire Marshal, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department are investigating. The sheriff’s department incident report classified the incident as a suspicious fire.
