Nearly three years after the fatal Sofa Super Store fire blaze, the debate and legal battles continue to churn on. But there seems to be little political will to see the City of Charleston and its fire department dragged into the fray.
Evidence: On March 19 Charleston Rep. Chip Limehouse penned an editorial saying the apparently conflicting, "The government should indeed spend money and investigate when there is a tragedy. But we should not continue to spend money on unending investigations when so much has already been done to determine the facts." And then a lawyer representing some of the families suing commercial entities involved in the blaze filed for a gag order surrounding the trial.
But there's definitely a push back in those that want to see the full role of the city decisions in the fatal fire, a judge blocked the gag order, the state Court of Appeals is keeping alive the possibility of the city as a defendant, the State Law Enforcement Division is looking into the role fire leadership may have played in the deaths, and some families of those who died are supportive of pursuing the city's involvement.
That said, it's certainly no surprise the city is taking flack for the fire, as it took plenty in the past.