West Columbia house fire damages home Thursday morning

West Columbia, SC 06/09/2023 (Paul Kirby) – A home in the 1800 block of 2nd Avenue in West Columbia had been damaged by fire about 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning. According to photographs and information from the fire by The Lexington Ledger’s Public Safety Reporter Tim Spires, the homes siding, ductwork, and A/C unit were all damaged by the blaze.

Spires reported that the homeowner was awakened by a family member about 3:30 a.m. yesterday morning. The homeowner, his daughter, grandchildren, and a family pet had escaped unharmed and then dialed 911. By the time the fire department had arrived, the homeowner, ironically a retired firefighter himself, had used a garden hose to extinguish the fire that was quickly brought under control when he pulled the electrical disconnect and the fire went out. It was later determined that the hot water heater or the A/C unit had started the blaze and was in fact electrical in nature.

The homeowner was displaced by the fire but was being assisted by family and not the American Red Cross.