Fire report expected in 2 weeks

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A team of consultants investigating the events and circumstances that led to the deaths of nine Charleston firefighters at the Sofa Super Store plans to submit its report for public release in two weeks, the head of the expert panel said Thursday.

Former Louisiana Fire Chief Gordon Routley, leader of the city-appointed panel, said fact-checking the comprehensive analysis caused some delays, and it should be delivered to the city by May 9. "We are trying to line up a delivery date for the report now," he said. "I would say two weeks."

The report originally had been expected as far back as December, and more recently it was anticipated by the end of this month. The latest time frame would thrust the highly anticipated findings out just ahead of the fire's one-year anniversary, June 18. That timing is likely to intensify emotions across the community, particularly for the families and colleagues of the fallen firefighters.

Randy Hutchinson, a former Charleston firefighter who lost his brother, Capt. William "Billy" Hutchinson, in the fire, questions why the report has taken so long to complete. "The panel has a tough job to do, and I respect them for it," Hutchinson said. "But it's coming up on one year now, and it's really frustrating."

The report, which spans as much as 200 pages, includes a chronological narrative, an analysis of the building and other supporting documentation, Routley said. As is common in fire service investigations, firefighters will be referred to only by their assignments and ranks, not by name.

"I think we've pretty much figured out everything it's possible to figure out," Routley said. "It's going to be a comprehensive analysis of the circumstances and actions, what worked and what didn't work."

The report includes information gathered from federal agencies. Among them, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is examining what factors led to the firefighters' deaths. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is using a computer model to reconstruct the blaze to determine why the fire spread so rapidly, why the building quickly collapsed and whether sprinklers could have saved lives.

Routley said the panel also compared notes with officials from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and

Explosives, which has yet to say what caused the blaze. He said the report will not cite a cause.

One group, however, has had minimal involvement with the report, Routley said.

Mayor Joe Riley and other city officials were shown drafts of the panel's previous report, which offered some 200 recommendations on improving the fire department. City officials were allowed to suggest changes before that report's release in October, drawing criticism from some that the city compromised an independent probe.

Riley and other city officials said their role did not undermine the panel's independence and characterized the city's input as an attempt to ensure that the report was factually and legally accurate.

The city granted the panel unlimited access and autonomy to conduct an exhaustive probe. But at the end of the day, the city is paying for the report and has the final say on when it will be released.

Routley said city officials have had "very little" involvement this go around. "We've had a couple of exchanges just verifying facts. We haven't even discussed the analysis."

The city and its attorneys will have an opportunity to see the pending report before its release, but any suggested changes will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, Routley said. "It's really going to depend what it is."

City officials said Thursday that they expect the report no later than May 15 and had no additional comment.

Jeffery Thompson, deputy chief of the Pine Ridge Fire Department and brother of fallen firefighter Brandon Thompson, said the city should present the panel's report to the families of the men who died and city firefighters before it is released to the general public. Both groups need to know what's coming, he said.

Reach Ron Menchaca at rmenchaca@postandcourier.com or 937-5724. Reach Glenn Smith at gsmith@postandcourier.com or 937-5556.