The story behind the fire probe

The candid, critical e-mails among members of an expert fire safety panel investigating the 2007 Sofa Super Store tragedy show a perplexing reluctance by the city of Charleston to acknowledge the shortcomings of its fire department even while undertaking major improvements.

The e-mails, written during the investigatory process, reveal panel members' frustration with the city's preconceptions about the caliber of the fire department, and the long-standing personal loyalties and political realities that confounded their work.

In his comments to reporter Glenn Smith, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley disputed the accuracy of the peek behind the curtain provided by the e-mails. The mayor depicted the correspondence as "snide, cynical and sarcastic," according to our report. The mayor said the panel's own preconceived opinions clouded its mission, and that some members had an ax to grind.

It's not surprising that the mayor doesn't appreciate the candor of e-mails that were included in court filings and weren't written for public consumption. They agree that the city was reluctant to acknowledge what had been touted by the administration as "the best fire department in the nation" had serious problems.

And in fact, the city ultimately refused to concede to one of the key conclusions in the expert panel's draft report: That the nine firefighters would not have died if the blaze had been handled "in accordance with widely accepted fire service principles and practices."

The final report, however, did state that the department exposed firemen to "excessive risks" and "a critically dangerous situation."

Meanwhile, embattled Fire Chief Rusty Thomas resigned the day before the report was made public, and the city subsequently hired a new fire chief committed to major improvements implicitly demanded in the report's findings. The panel cited numerous problems, such as staffing shortages and the department's failure to follow national standards.

The expert panel's findings provided the foundation for $8 million in department upgrades. And the reports that the panel produced "have become staple reading in fire stations throughout the land," Mr. Smith reported.

In short, the city generally accepted the panel's findings and its recommendations. Despite a process fraught with disagreements and frustration, the panel's expert members persevered, and the city ultimately responded appropriately.

That is what is most important about the panel's work and the city's response. At this point, there's no reason to malign the unwitting messengers whose e-mails described the process.