Overview

• Three people were hospitalized after the blaze, including one airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina and two taken by ambulance, officials said.
• Judge Diane Goodstein was walking her dogs when the fire began, while her husband and relatives escaped by jumping and were rescued from marshland using kayaks.
• South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge said the incident followed an apparent explosion, but investigators have not determined whether it was accidental or arson.
• The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is conducting an active investigation as local agencies increase patrols and coordinate with the Judicial Branch.
• The fire drew national attention following Goodstein’s recent, since-reversed order blocking the transfer of state voter data to the DOJ, with reports of prior threats and online political finger-pointing yet no official indication of motive.