COLUMBIA, S.C.: CIU President Bill Jones (center) leads staff members in prayer outside of the library with fire hoses underfoot.
Books damaged by the fire.
The G. Allen Fleece Library at Columbia International University was heavily damaged by an intense early morning fire May 8. The Columbia Fire Department was called to the scene about 6 a.m. after a student noticed smoke coming from the building and alerted a security guard who called 911. The library was closed at the time and there were no injuries, but there was heavy fire damage to both floors at the rear of the two-story library, and heavy smoke damage throughout the library.
The library is part of the larger Ridderhof Building that also houses Hoke Auditorium, classrooms, offices, a computer lab and WMHK Radio. While the fire did not go beyond the library, smoke could be smelled throughout the building. A fire restoration company was working on eliminating the odor. The fire comes as students were preparing for final exams just ahead of commencement on May 15. But the library will be unusable for a while as the CIU administration assesses the situation.
The cause of the was an electrical problem in a fluorescent ceiling light. Damage is estimated at $1.5 million.
CIU President Bill Jones came to the campus to view the damage, and to lead fellow CIU administrators and staff who were on the scene, in a prayer for strength and encouragement. He also personally thanked Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins and his firefighters.
CIU Library Director Jo Ann Rhodes, who has been at the library since 1988, watched as firefighters traversed ladders, and entered the library through broken windows to extinguish smoldering books inside.
“It’s hard to watch,” Rhodes said. “It’s an old friend.”
Rhodes said among the major losses were Bibles that were translated into various languages by CIU alumni.
The last major fire on the CIU campus was in 1975 when an aging music building was totally destroyed.