Overview

• Three people were hospitalized after the Saturday fire, including one airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina, according to Colleton County Fire-Rescue.
• St. Paul’s Fire District said occupants jumped from the elevated house and were retrieved from the backyard marsh using kayaks.
• The State Law Enforcement Division has opened an active investigation, and the South Carolina judiciary requested extra patrols during the probe.
• Chief Justice John Kittredge said the incident began with an “apparent explosion,” while officials emphasize the cause remains undetermined and arson has not been ruled out.
• Property records link the destroyed home to Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein, who recently issued a short-lived order restricting the release of voter data and was reported to have received threats; she told the Daily Mail she is “alright.”