Remembering the Sofa Superstore fire 16 years later

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Sunday will mark 16 years since nine Charleston firefighters were killed during a large fire at the Sofa Superstore on Savannah Highway.

On the evening of June 18, 2007, fire alarms sounded at the West Ashley furniture and warehouse as black smoke poured from the building.

As firefighters from the Charleston Fire Department began to battle the flames, an emergency call came in saying an employee was trapped inside. Crews rushed inside to save the employee, but flames quickly engulfed the building once the employee was rescued.

Firefighters who were still inside the building sent out a “mayday call.” Then, the roof collapsed, leaving nine of Charleston’s bravest trapped beneath the rubble.

“Tonight… a great and heroic tragedy has befallen our community. Brave members of the City of Charleston Fire Department, fighting this massive blaze in a store filled with fuel, among the most combustible of fuel, a sofa store. This massive fire has produced several City of Charleston firefighters who are now missing,” said former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley as he addressed the community that night.

The following day, each fallen firefighter was carried out of the store by their fellow crew members, one by one, in a silent, solemn salute.

The Charleston Nine:

• Captain Billy Hutchinson (48)
• Captain Louis Mulkey (34)
• Captain Mike Benke (49)
• Engineer Brad Baity (37)
• Engineer Mark Kelsey (40)
• Assistant Engineer Michael French (27)
• Firefighter Brandon Thompson (27)
• Firefighter Earl Drayton (56)
• Firefighter Melvin Champaign (46)

Charleston Fire Department Station 11, which honors the fallen, was recently built and opened on land adjacent to the park.

As the community continues to mourn the loss of fathers, sons, and brothers, the 16th anniversary holds extra significance this year: It falls on Father’s Day.

“We have one of our firefighters, Hunter Benke, who’s on the job here, and it’s Father’s Day, and his dad lost his life on June 18th, 2007,” Assistant Chief of Administration David Griffin said. “For me to watch that young man be in our department and work so hard and strive to be such a good firefighter that’s an honor for me.”

Hunter, following in his father’s footsteps, graduated from the Charleston Fire Department’s recruit program just days before the fire’s 15th anniversary in 2022.

Several years ago, the city built Charleston 9 Memorial Park on the site where Sofa Superstore once stood. It currently includes a pathway that leads to the flagpole, a plaque in the center of the park, and nine markers that represent the location of each fallen firefighter, but improvement plans are now in the works.

Fire Station 11, which houses Charleston’s only command training center, was built and opened on land adjacent to the park in 2021.

The community and fellow firefighters are invited to gather at the park on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. for a memorial service honoring the nine lives lost.

In addition, Charleston Fire Department personnel will initiate a watch at the park’s flagpole of starting at midnight and continuing for the 24 hours of June 18th.