ATF's Report on the Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire

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ATF's Report on the Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire

The ATF's Report on the Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire was made public this week by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) through the efforts of (Charleston) The Post and Courier, which obtained the ATF's "origin and cause" report through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. The Department of Justice blacked out names of firefighters, Sofa Super Store employees and others, but the document still provides a window into how investigators tried to piece together what happened.

The ATF report, which has not been made public until now, also said firefighters "caused a fire storm" soon after they arrived because they opened doors and allowed oxygen to feed the flames. The ATF report revealed that the fire was well under way when firefighters arrived at 7:11 p.m. and entered the building. "The opening of the doors caused the fire to be fed more oxygen, which gave the fire a chance to burn faster and hotter," the report said. "This caused a fire storm affect (sic) that quickly spread throughout the structure." The ATF concluded its report by labeling the fire's cause as "undetermined."

The ATF reports comes on the succession of the Routley Report that was issued in May, 2008.

http://www.charleston.net/news/firefighters/
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/jul/10/atf_cigarette_likely_cau...