Charleston Fire holds 16th anniversary memorial ceremony to honor ‘Charleston 9’

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Sunday marks 16 years since the Sofa Super Store fire in Charleston that claimed the lives of nine Charleston firefighters. Those nine firemen have become affectionately known as the Charleston 9.

The Charleston Fire Department held a memorial ceremony Sunday evening to honor the nine firefighters for the bravery and sacrifice they displayed 16 years ago.

“I appreciate the opportunity to say a few words tonight on this sixteenth remembrance of our fallen firefighters,” Charleston Fire Chief Dan Curia said. “I know that the pain doesn’t go away, but it’s my hope that for the families of our nine firefighters, but also, for everyone affected by this tragedy that that perspective does shift to something happy, something pleasant, more often than when you go to the pain.”

Sunday’s ceremony was held on the grounds of the Charleston 9 Memorial, which is also the site where the Sofa Super Store once stood.

Fire officials and city leaders say while this tragedy was a great lost for the community, it also served as the inspiration behind many improvements to firefighter safety procedures that have been implemented in the last 16 years.

“We’ve invested in state-of-the-art equipment,” Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “Improved training protocols and programs and strengthened coordination between our fire department and other emergency response agencies.”

With Sunday’s day of remembrance falling on Father’s Day, fire officials wanted to acknowledge that many of the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice 16 years ago were fathers who were loved by many.

The Charleston Fire Department expects the Charleston 9 Memorial to be completed in the near future, and the department will welcome 42 new recruits starting next month.