According to the Columbia Fire Department, a fire in an electrical panel, a short circuit and a fire started on Saturday morning.
The fire brigade asked residents to evacuate as the elevators were not working and the emergency lighting, which ran on batteries, didn’t last long and residents were in the dark. Heaters wouldn’t work either and it would be too cold.
The apartment complex took residents to a hotel for two nights, the second night as a precaution when the firefighter and officers finished their investigation. Once this is complete, residents can return to their apartments.
The complex has 130 apartments.
