The children were found alone after a Floran Street house fire and will enter emergency state custody.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Three young sisters injured in a Columbia house fire are breathing on their own as police collect supplies for them and continue investigating the conditions inside their home, officials said Thursday.
The girls, ages 6, 4 and 2, were rescued late Monday from a Floran Street home after firefighters forced their way inside and found smoke in the house. Officials said the children suffered severe burn injuries and were taken to the JMS Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. Police said Thursday that the children had made “great progress” and were stable.
Their mother, 28-year-old Zana Oden, is charged with three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child. Mali’K Locke, 21, the father of one of the girls, also faces child neglect charges. Both were granted bond Wednesday and ordered to have no contact with each other or the children. Police said the girls will be placed in emergency custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services after they are released from the hospital.
Authorities said the children were alone when the fire started. Prosecutors said at a bond hearing that the girls may have been left alone for at least a week and that no one had checked on them during that time. Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins said firefighters found the children exposed to smoke and heat. “These are innocent kids, and somebody should have been there to take care of these kids,” Jenkins said.
Police said they are collecting clothing, pull-ups, socks, T-shirts, hygiene items, child comfort items, food and gift cards for the children. Deputy Police Chief Melron Kelly said the girls had little more than what they were wearing after the fire. Donations are scheduled to be accepted at the Columbia Police Department at 1 Justice Square from July 6 through July 8.
Investigators also are examining the home’s condition before the fire. Officials described the house as damaged, unsafe and infested with cockroaches. Prosecutors said the youngest child was malnourished and had no food. One child reportedly had insects in her diaper. Police said Oden was found Tuesday at a nearby apartment and tried to avoid arrest by hiding in a closet.
The fire’s cause remains under review. Fire officials are treating it as suspected arson while Columbia police, the fire marshal’s office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division work the case. Police also said they are speaking with the biological fathers of the other two children as they reconstruct what happened before firefighters arrived.
The girls remained in recovery Thursday as the case moved through court. The next steps include continued medical care, emergency custody placement and possible updates from investigators on the fire’s cause and any additional charges.
Author note: Last updated July 5, 2026.