Dog alerted owner to fire that left them without their home, Columbia police say
A South Carolina man is without a home and another is in jail following a house fire that was intentionally set, according to the Columbia Police Department.
Malcolm McDowell was charged with second-degree arson, police said in a news release.
On Monday, the 37-year-old was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where he remains as no bond has been set, jail records show. McDowell is scheduled to return to court on April 25, according to Richland County judicial records.
McDowell is accused of intentionally setting a fire to a home in the 800 block of Calhoun Street on Saturday, police said. That’s close to the intersection with Gadsden Street, near where Interstate 126 flows into Elmwood Avenue.
The fire appeared to have started outside of the home and extended into the attic, the Columbia Fire Department said on social media.
A man who lives at the home was inside when the fire started, according to police. His dog smelled smoke and alerted the resident, and they both escaped unharmed, police said.
No injuries were reported, but the resident, and his dog, were left without their home, according to the fire department.
Firefighters responded to the burning home at about 2:15 p.m., and quickly got the blaze under control and extinguished, the fire department said.
Video surveillance helped identify McDowell as the person who ignited the fire, according to police. He was arrested on Elmwood Avenue, police said.
Criminal history
McDowell was out on bond from a Jan. 17 arrest when the fire happened, court records show. On Jan. 18, McDowell was released from jail after posting a $465 bond connected to a trespassing charge, according to court records.
On May 22, 2024, McDowell was fined after being found guilty of another trespassing charge from a May 13 arrest, court records show. His $465 fine remains unpaid, according to court records.
McDowell was also arrested on a drug charge May 22, a count that he pleaded guilty to on Oct. 7, 2024, court records show. He was sentenced to 139 days in jail on the drug charge, and was released as he was credited for time served in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to court records.
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This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Dog alerted owner to fire that left them without their home, Columbia police say."
