Columbia House Fire Leaves Three Toddlers Critically Injured After Being Left Without Supervision
Three children, ages 6, 4, and 2, were pulled from a burning home on Floran Street in Columbia, South Carolina, on the night of June 29. No adult was anywhere near them.
Firefighters from the Columbia-Richland Fire Department arrived just before 9:30 p.m. to find heavy smoke coming from the structure. They forced their way through the front door and pushed into rapidly worsening conditions inside.
The fire had started near the front of the home. The children were found in and near the bedrooms toward the back.
Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins put it plainly: “If they had not gotten in as quick as they did, or if there was any type of time delay, it could have been worse.”
All three children were treated for severe burn injuries on the scene and rushed to the JMS Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. As of Tuesday, all three remain in critical condition.
A Mother Who Knew and Still Did Not Call
The children’s mother, 28-year-old Zana Oden, was not home when the fire broke out.
She knew about the fire and did not contact law enforcement or check on her children. Officers found her less than a mile away at an apartment complex. When they tried to take her into custody, she hid inside a closet. She was arrested Tuesday afternoon.
CPD Deputy Chief Melron Kelly called the conditions inside the home prior to the fire “deplorable.” He also said, “She deserves to be in jail and I will be at her bond sentencing to make sure she stays there.”
According to WIS TV, Oden now faces three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child, with additional charges still under review as the investigation continues. The biological father of one child is also being questioned.
What the Law Actually Means Here
Under South Carolina Code Section 63-5-70, unlawful conduct toward a child is a felony. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison. Three counts means Oden faces potential exposure of up to 30 years.
South Carolina has no legally defined minimum age for leaving a child alone. But a 2, 4, and 6-year-old left in a home that caught fire is not a grey area.
Upon hospital release, all three children will be placed in emergency custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
This kind of incident, a fire, young children home alone, a caregiver unreachable, is not as rare as people think.
We covered a similar pattern when we looked at what investigators faced in the Hobe Sound house fire that killed one person and had to piece together what happened after the fact.
For home safety news and fire updates as they break, the Build Like New WhatsApp channel is worth following.
Why This Matters
According to NFPA’s home structure fire research, fires in one and two family homes are now killing people at a rate 44 percent higher than in 1980.
Nearly half of all home fire deaths happen between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., the hours when children are most likely to be asleep and unsupervised.
Young children cannot escape a fire on their own. They cannot call 911. That is the reality this case forces us to sit with.
Speed matters too. As we reported when Anchorage fire crews battled five fires in a single overnight stretch, even a short delay in response can change everything. The same was true here.
Key Takeaways
Zana Oden faces three felony counts after her children, ages 6, 4, and 2, were found alone in a burning home. She knew about the fire and did not call for help.
The children remain in critical condition in Augusta. The fire cause is still under investigation. The Henderson garage fire that spread to a two-story home is another reminder of how fast a residential fire can overtake a structure before anyone inside has a chance to react.
If this story raised any questions for you about fire safety at home or warning signs of child neglect in your community, drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Wrapping Up
Three children are in a burn center right now because someone who was supposed to protect them was not there. That is the only fact that matters.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, based on official statements from the Columbia Police Department and Columbia-Richland Fire Department as of June 30, 2026. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
