Nine Dead Fireman In S

Arson Not Ruled Out

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but Charleston Mayor ` Riley said arson was not suspected. He said the blaze apparently started in a storage area, and Goldstein didn't have a sprinkler system.

Fire Chief Rusty Thomas said he lost nine of his best friends. 8

Herb Wll Gets Hefty Insurance Settlement

Charleston is a small community of 106,000, so I doubt the nine families will be taken care of. But no doubt the owner will receive a hefty settlement.

Herb And Jeffrey Goldstein Are Devastated

Store owner Herb Goldstein said in a statement, "there were no words to express his sorrow".

"All of us at Sofa Super Store are devastated and heartbroken by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the heroic firefighters who lost their lives," he said. He had owned the store for about 15 years, said his son, Jeff Goldstein.

One Of The Nine Dead Daniel Shahid told CNN the roof collapsed too quickly for anyone to escape. "It came from nowhere," he said. "It was a standing structure and five seconds later it was on the ground."

Investigators Are Cautious

While investigators search for the cause, they say there is no sign that arson took the lives of these heroes. But questions are being asked, just how did this explode into a raging inferno that killed nine firefighters? 6

Outside Investigators Swarm In

Suddenly the town, and the fire department, are being told the deaths were caused by firemen not following the rules. One consultant said the decision to send so many firefighters into the building may have been particularly unwise.

Charleston Fire Chief Gets Mad

"There was more to that fire than we know. Things did not happen like they normally happen. If there
had been fire rolling out of those back doors, I wouldn't have sent them in. I don't care anything about a building."

The ATF Called In

There is, as yet, no suspicion of arson, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are investigating.

It Was A Firestorm

In 34 years of fire-fighting service, I've never seen a fire travel that fast with that magnitude," he said. "That just tells me the fire came in behind them," Charleston Assistant Fire Chief Larry Garvin said. "When they realized the fire was on them, it was too late and they took off running." "You could see the fire coming, the gasses rolling in front of it. It was just a few seconds before the building was an inferno," he said.

Enormous Pressure To Blame The Firefighters

Every state and federal agency got involved, and their focus was on blaming the local department in an effort to silence them. One source says "Firefighters broke the windows as the nine firemen were inside, which fed the fire oxygen, and started the fireball." 9

Heim Scheiberger is typical of a cover-up expert.

The Investigation Into The Fire Is Still Open

Eighteen months later, the investigation is still open. To date, Herb Goldstein, and others, have settled civil cases amounting to $5.6 million. 7