WEST ASHLEY, SC (WCBD) – June 18 will mark 12 years since the Sofa Superstore fire which claimed the lives of nine Charleston firefighters.
It was a hot summer evening in 2007 when a fire broke out at the furniture store and warehouse on Savannah Highway. The impact of the fire caused the roof to collapse with nine firefighters still trapped inside.
Firefighters Brandon Thompson, Brad Baity, Louis Mulkey, Mark Kelsey, Mike Benke, William Hutchinson, Melvin Champaign, Michael French and Earl Drayton were all killed in the fire, which remains one of the deadliest days for U.S. firefighters since September 11, 2001.
The Charleston Fire Department will commemorate the day with a ceremony at the Charleston 9 Memorial Park, 1807 Savannah Highway, which begins at 7:00 p.m.
The park was built at the site of the fire. It features nine markers representing the location of each of the fallen.
Charleston Fire personnel will initiate a watch at the flagpole of the memorial park starting at midnight and continuing for the 24 hours of June 18.
