One Child Dead, One Injured in Columbia County Fire

A house fire Tuesday afternoon in Columbia County claimed the life of a 10 year old boy.

Authorities say 10 year old Nicolas Mai died after being rushed to Doctor's Hospital, shortly after the fire broke out at the home in the 200 block of Sarah Creek Court off Columbia Road.

Mai's 11 year old cousin was found in an upstairs bedroom after firefighters forced their way into the burning home around 2:00 p.m.  He is being treated for non life-threatening injuries.  Officials had originally reported there were three children in the home at the time, but they have since confirmed there were two.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office says the boys were home alone when the fire broke out, but it's not known how the fire started.  It quickly spread to the house next door, but the extent of the damage there isn't known.

The State Fire Marshall's Office is conducting an investigation.