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Columbia-Richland Fire Department was notified of a fire at Salty Nut Cafe at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 6 that caused an estimated $300,000 in damages, according to Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins. Jenkins said the fire is suspected arson based on evidence firefighters took from the scene that will be analyzed by SLED. Jenkins could not discuss the evidence, but said there is a photograph of the person of interest. He added that they have received a few calls but nothing significant and, ultimately, no leads on the photo.
Jenkins said the damage inside the building includes equipment that will have to be replaced. He also added that they will have to gut the inside in certain spots.
The fire spread because the building lacked a sprinkler system, which wasn’t required by code when the structure was originally built. Depending on the extent of the repairs, safety code may require the building to have a sprinkler system installed.
“A sprinkler system will give you added protection on the building,” Jenkins said.