WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Backyard BBQ ends with 6 Columbia condos destroyed by fire

Backyard BBQ ends with 6 Columbia condos destroyed by fire

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Six apartments were destroyed and 12 others were damaged after fire tore through a group of townhouses in Northeast Columbia Sunday evening.

Now, six families are homeless. Those victims are now staying with friends or relatives.

Monday, they returned to the scene to help salvage their belongings.

Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins says a man was trying to cook some barbeque at the apartments on Elder's Pond Circle, and that ended up being the cause of the fire.

"Someone was grilling in the back of the apartments next to it. The wind was so high it actually kicked the grill over and set straw on fire," says Jenkins.

After that, things happened fast.

"He tried to put it out, but to no avail. It spread quickly because of the wind. Once it started spreading, it set the apartments on fire," Jenkins told WIS News 10.

About sixty firefighters were called to the scene for a job one man tried to do himself.

One of the residents, Emile Ragland, says, "You sit back, and I watched my entire, everything I had burn, just burn up. That's just something you don't get used to."

Emile's cousin James lived there and lost a lot of things too. "As far as I'm concerned, it couldn't have been a worse thing to happen, man."

Emile says Columbia firefighters got to the scene in a hurry, and he's thankful they saved some priceless things of his.

The Red Cross says three of the apartments which suffered smoke damage were in a different building as the one in which the fire started. About $535,000 in total damage was caused.

Jenkins says the man whose actions led to the fire will not be charged.

Red Cross workers were on scene offering support, giving food and clothes to the families who lived in the six destroyed apartments.

Workers say aid comes in the form of a money card which families can spend on necessities. The money generally lasts about three days, according to the Red Cross.

The Red Cross is also offering mental health services to people affected by the fire.

If you want to donate money to help the people affected by the fire, you can call the Red Cross at 803-540-1225 or send a check to PO Box 91, Columbia, SC, 29202.

Updated by Logan Smith