S.C. Warehouse Fire Kills 9 Firefighters

Fire swept through a furniture warehouse, collapsing the building's roof and claiming the lives of nine firefighters in a disaster the mayor described Tuesday as "difficult to fathom or quantify." "Nine brave, ...

[Gil]

Godspeed these heroes and condolences to their families. This is a terrible blow for their community.

Is this sudden collapse always a possibility in a fire of a building this size?

[A Firefighter Myself]

I am praying for your families. God Bless You All!

[A Firefighter Myself]

Yes... It is.

Gil wrote:

Godspeed these heroes and condolences to their families. This is a terrible blow for their community.
Is this sudden collapse always a possibility in a fire of a building this size?

[Steven]

TRUE HEROES!

[2 cents worth]

God bless the city of Charlestson. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[Scott]

As with any local hero...police, fire, ems...I pray each day for their safety. I hope the City knows what true heroes they had.

[Rob 311]

Gil wrote:

Godspeed these heroes and condolences to their families. This is a terrible blow for their community.
Is this sudden collapse always a possibility in a fire of a building this size?

As a firefighter for the last 15+ years, it gets to me everytime a firefighter is lost in the line of duty. My department is a small town volunteer station with about 35 members and they are all brothers and sisters to me. As far as your question, yes a collapse of this type is a distinct possiblity on any structure fire. The type of building construction and the fire load (what's burning inside and the heat it produces) contributes to this factor. For example: The type of building in this incident probably had a wire-frame type of ceiling truss design, much like in factories or warehouses. The interior was loaded with couches, chairs, etc, which puts off a great deal of heat and can cause the expansion of metals in the truss system, eventually pulling the ceiling away from the supporting walls. That, with the top load of air units and such on top of the roof, can be disasterous, as we have seen today. I hope this answered your question.
The Owingsville Volunteer Fire Department in Owingsville Kentucky offers their condolences to the families and department. Firefighters face crisis everyday, and face danger and death in all forms. When a tragedy of this level strikes, we must comfort ourselves in knowing these brave firefighters lost their lives doing their duty to protect and preserve life and property. Hold their memories high with respect and honor. God bless them all in Charleston.

Rob Kiskaden,
Assistant Chief
Owingsville Fire Department

[CK-SANFORD]

As a mother of a firefighter, this is the worse possible news to hear. My thoughts and prayers are with the families: both families.

The FireFighters Prayer

When I am called to duty, God, wherever flame may rage,
Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child, before it is too late,
Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently, to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling, and to give the best in me,
To guard my every neighbor, and protect his property.

And if according to my fate, I am to lose my life,
Please Bless with your protecting hand, my children
and my wife.

Godspeed to our heroes.

[2 cents worth]

Rob 311 wrote:

<quoted text>
As a firefighter for the last 15+ years, it gets to me everytime a firefighter is lost in the line of duty. My department is a small town volunteer station with about 35 members and they are all brothers and sisters to me. As far as your question, yes a collapse of this type is a distinct possiblity on any structure fire. The type of building construction and the fire load (what's burning inside and the heat it produces) contributes to this factor. For example: The type of building in this incident probably had a wire-frame type of ceiling truss design, much like in factories or warehouses. The interior was loaded with couches, chairs, etc, which puts off a great deal of heat and can cause the expansion of metals in the truss system, eventually pulling the ceiling away from the supporting walls. That, with the top load of air units and such on top of the roof, can be disasterous, as we have seen today. I hope this answered your question.
The Owingsville Volunteer Fire Department in Owingsville Kentucky offers their condolences to the families and department. Firefighters face crisis everyday, and face danger and death in all forms. When a tragedy of this level strikes, we must comfort ourselves in knowing these brave firefighters lost their lives doing their duty to protect and preserve life and property. Hold their memories high with respect and honor. God bless them all in Charleston.
Rob Kiskaden,
Assistant Chief
Owingsville Fire Department

Our thoughts and prayers are with you also. What a brave and unselfish job all the firemen and policemen do.

[Tamie Thompson]

To the families and fellow brothers, I am the wife of a firefighter in Casselberry, FL. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends and community of Charleston.
May God Bless!

[concerned and thankful]

God bless these fallen heros...my thoughts and prayers are with the families and people of Charleston.

[toadspad]

As a retired firefighter it is sad to loose a brother let alone nine of them in one of the worst structural firefighting tragedies in the last 30 years in this country.
Nine brave, heroic, courageous firefighters of the city of Charleston have perished fighting fire in a most courageous and fearless manner, carrying out their duties. Thwey saved two employees in the building who were rescued from the blaze

To all of their loved ones, our heart goes out to them.

[okw]

God bless these true American heroes and their families - and the department they left behind.

[orlando native]

God Bless all the firefighters and their families.

[Knightor]

why is this not the top headline? Is Tiger Woods baby really more important than this story?(congrats, Tiger & Elin...important news, but not more important than the firefighter's story).

God bless all the coworkers, friends and their families.

[Gil]

Rob 311 wrote:

<quoted text>
As far as your question, yes a collapse of this type is a distinct possiblity on any structure fire. The type of building construction and the fire load (what's burning inside and the heat it produces) contributes to this factor. For example: The type of building in this incident probably had a wire-frame type of ceiling truss design, much like in factories or warehouses. The interior was loaded with couches, chairs, etc, which puts off a great deal of heat and can cause the expansion of metals in the truss system, eventually pulling the ceiling away from the supporting walls. That, with the top load of air units and such on top of the roof, can be disasterous, as we have seen today. I hope this answered your question.

Yes, thank you and thanks to "Firefighter" who gave the shorter version.

Today we hold not just these nine, but all of you in our hearts with gratitude.

[Marlins gurl]

Firefighters are the best...

Even roaches and rats leave a burning building, but these guys (and girls!!)go in to save us.

Thanks Grandpa (DFB F/R 1969-1978)RIP
and firebee34 (you know who you are!:))

GOD BLESS FIRST RESPONDERS!!!

[crime]

I am the mother of a Firefighter.
This is the kind of news that makes my heart break into pieces. Those men, were hero's you know....and somewhere it is THEIR mothers hearts, that are torn apart...and those mothers will never be the same...ever...
Their sons, died real heros deaths....and they died with such honor...and the pride that thier mothers felt on the day they graduated from the Fire Academy is now overshadowed by the grief they feel at the loss.
I am crying for these brave Firemen, as if one were my own son...because when you are the mother of a fireman, you KNOW...your son could have been there as well.
God bless them, God take them into heaven, and God protect the mothers of these firemen...

[Jay]

As a police officer, I send my condolences to the firefighter family. We look to them as cousins and fellow servants to our trusted public.

[Slickster]

For once, posters to this paper are taking the high road, recognizing true heroism in its most fundamental form.

I cannot, despite my gift for words, fully offer my thanks and prayers for these and all of the brave young people who routinely put their lives on the line for all of us. Surely God has created a special place for them in the beyond.

To the families of these brave men, I offer my deepest thanks and condolences. There is little comfort at this time, even knowing that they died doing what they felt was important, looking out for the welfare of others. But, from my paltry effort and the heartfelt words of others, know that their sacrifice and your pain are felt by thousands, each of us hoping that our sharing of your loss can help to ease what you feel.

May your memories of them be pleasant and comfort you in the coming days.

God bless.