By Bruce Smith
The Associated Press
 AP Photo/John Bazemore Family members react as they walk past the row of nine caskets and portraits of the fallen Charleston firefighters. |
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The city will pay $3,160 in fines but admit no wrongdoing in a furniture store fire that killed nine firefighters, according to a settlement with state regulators announced Monday.
The city was initially fined $9,325 for four violations in the June 18 blaze at the Sofa Super Store, the greatest loss of firefighters since the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley and the city had contested the initial fines, saying that the violations were wrongly issued and that the Fire Department had already changed some of its policies.
Under the settlement, the Fire Department was cited for two violations. However, the city “does not admit the truth of any alleged facts” in the citations, which claimed officials failed to enforce requirements on protective gear and breathing equipment, and which faulted its written procedures for command at fires.
The city said it has changed its protective equipment requirements and will update written policies by February.
The settlement is not final until approved by the chairman of the state occupational safety review board, and the agency said it would not discuss the agreement until then.
The city hired firefighting professionals from around the country to review the Fire Department and its handling of the blaze. In October, the panel released about 200 recommendations that included updating protective gear and prioritizing training.
The city “has demonstrated its good faith by undertaking an independent, comprehensive review of its fire department and the overall state of fire protection in the city,” according to the settlement.
The city had contested the four initial violations, including one for having an inadequate command structure. The city had also been cited for failing to have a procedure for fighting a fire in a building with a metal truss roof.
Earlier, in a separate citation, the Sofa Super Store was fined for having padlocked doors. It was also cited for fire doors that did not work and not having an emergency action plan in place for its employees.
One store worker was trapped during the blaze but was pulled to safety by firefighters. The store was fined $32,775 and has appealed.
Officials still have not announced a cause for the blaze, though authorities have said the fire began near a loading dock where employees said they took cigarette breaks.
Local and state police, as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are still investigating.