Vandalism at site of tragic fire
FirefighterNation Staff
CHARLESTON, South Carolina – WCSC reports that a police officer found an American flag draped over a cross along with several smaller flags scattered around, at the site of the memorial for nine Charleston firefighters who died in the line of duty.
The officer also found some of the nine PVC pipe memorial crosses at the park had been pulled out of the ground and broken.
The memorial is at the former site of the Sofa Super Store, where nine firefighters died battling a large fire on June 18, 2007.
Charleston Fire Chief Dan Curia vowed his department would work with police to bring to justice the person responsible for the early-morning vandalism.
“There is no greater symbol in humanity than that of a firefighter and the selfless acts that a firefighter does for his or her community without thought to his or her own safety,” he told WCSC. “This memorial is sacred to the Charleston Fire Department, is sacred to the service, but it’s important part of our community. And to think that somebody would deface this memorial is absolutely heinous. It’s disgusting. And on behalf of the Charleston Fire Department. I deplore the act.”
Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said, “We will make an arrest and somebody will be held accountable for this.”
