Last night, fire consumed a furniture warehouse in Charleston, SC. The fire took a lot more from the community than sofas and coffee tables, however... nine brave firefighters perished as well, rescuing two employees from the burning building. Details are still coming out, but it is clear the fire was both swift and terrifying, "like a 30-foot tornado of flames." As someone with a healthy fear of fire, it's tough for me to imagine the sort of bravery and compassion it must take to walk into a wall of flames... do you fight fires, or does someone you love? What motivates you, or them? Also, if you've been rescued from a fire, feel free to leave your story here, to thank the firefighters, or to remember them.
Blog of the Nation
Why were the firefighters inside the fire to begin with? I haven't heard anything about other people inside the warehouse. If there was nothing but property in there, why were they in there risking their lives to save it?
Hi Fred,
Thanks for your comment. In fact, the firefighters rescued two employees from the warehouse.
What these nine men did was heroic but unnecessary. This story should have been nothing more than a side note on the Charleston local news. A properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler system would have probably extinguished this fire and would surely have at least contained it long enough for the safe escape of occupants and full extinguishment of the fire by the fire department before the structure failed. The fire services rightly honor these men as heros, but behind closed doors the many of the fire service members and unions vote and politic against laws and building codes that would require fire sprinkler systems to be installed in more structures. Just last month the members of the International Code Council, that include many representatives from the fire services, voted down a proposal to require sprinklers to be installed in more new structures. If the fire service really had the preservation of human life as their highest priority they would work for more sprinkler systems and fewer heroes.
My uncle became a firefighter after losing his leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident. I have to admit I don't know why he chose to do so, but I admire his determination to continually meet tough physical requirements with an artificial leg (he also farms part-time). We are very proud of him.
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