In the early hours of Friday morning, a devastating fire broke out at a building located off Business Loop 70 in Columbia. The Columbia Fire Department was alerted to the incident at around 3:45 a.m., and upon arrival, crews noticed heavy smoke emanating from the building. Due to potential risks to neighboring buildings, the fire was upgraded to a second alarm, and Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Jenkins stated that it was brought under control in about an hour. However, teams remained on-site for several hours to aid in investigation and ensure complete extinguishment.
The building had previously been vacant for some time and was once the location of Plush Lounge, which ceased operations in May 2023. Jenkins noted that connected buildings sustained minor water and smoke damages. Woods Auto Spa reported using a generator as a result of the power outage caused by the fire. Part of Business Loop 70 East near Rangeline Street was temporarily closed while firefighting operations were underway but was later reopened by 10 a.m. A total of 19 units with 38 personnel members responded to the fire, with no injuries reported, and the incident is currently under investigation.
