City will hold hearing to determine if property is a public nuisance

A property owner in the southern part of Columbia may soon be forced to demolish the remaining parts of his house after a fire last year left it destroyed.

Last July, fire crews were called out to a home on Carter Lane for a fire. The home, belonging to Byron Hickam, was determined to be uninhabitable after the fire was put out.

The fire has since been ruled incendiary, meaning it was not an accident. But no arrests have ever been made, nor charges filed.

Now, more than a year later, piles of rubble remain sitting on the property.

On Friday, the city will hold an administrative hearing to determine if the property is a public nuisance.

The city said Hickam will have a chance to talk with the city about the property at the hearing.

If the property is determined a nuisance, the city could order it to be demolished, but it would have to go before the city council first.

The city told ABC 17 News they’ve been tracking the property since the fire and that these hearings typically happen when a property owner has been notified multiple times by the city to make changes to the property.

In this case, clean up the rubble.

If the city does decide it needs to be demolished, the city will either demolish it and Hickam will cover the expenses or Hickam can choose to pay someone else to demolish and clean up the remaining mess.