Overview

• SLED Chief Mark Keel said there is currently no evidence the Edisto Beach blaze was intentionally set and no indication of a pre‑fire explosion, with the probe still active.
• Judge Diane Goodstein said she is alright, while her husband, son, and another person were hospitalized after escaping and being rescued from nearby marshland in kayaks; one was airlifted.
• The house fire came weeks after Goodstein temporarily blocked South Carolina from releasing voter data to the DOJ, a high‑profile order later overturned by the state Supreme Court, as reports noted she received threats.
• Political figures traded accusations online, with Rep. Daniel Goldman alleging arson tied to Trump allies and White House aide Stephen Miller calling the claim vile; Gov. Henry McMaster echoed calls to avoid unverified claims.
• An early reference by Chief Justice John Kittredge to an apparent explosion was contradicted by SLED’s preliminary findings, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.