Ceiling falls on SC firefighter during apartment fire

The firefighter was able to extricate himself; he was later released from a hospital with no serious injuries

May 10, 2016 08:45 AM

The State

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Columbia firefighter was injured while responding to a West Columbia fire that displaced about 15 people Monday.

The fire happened at about 2:34 a.m., West Columbia Fire Chief Wyatt Coleman said. About 12 condominiums on Edgewater Lane were damaged.

West Columbia had help from other firefighters. As a crew from Columbia set up in a building next to the unit on fire, the ceiling collapsed on one of them.

“The weight of the water being put up there made the ceiling collapse,” Coleman said.

The unidentified firefighter was able to extricate himself. He was later released from a hospital with no serious injuries, Coleman said.

No one else was injured though a cat died in the blaze.