Authorities say they have found “no evidence” so far that a fire at a property owned by South Carolina circuit court judge Diane Goodstein was arson.
In a statement Monday, State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said, per the Associated Press, “At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set. SLED agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.”
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of a fire that destroyed the home over the weekend, leaving three people hospitalized. The blaze, which happened Saturday on a remote part of the state’s Edisto Island, nearly burned to the ground a beachfront house owned by Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, former Democratic state Sen. Arnold Goodstein, authorities said.
Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze at the house situated next to a marsh on the barrier island. Videos circulated on social media show the house engulfed in flames, with plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
“Local law enforcement partners have been alerted and asked to provide extra patrols and security,” the South Carolina Supreme Court said in a statement to CNN, adding that the court will remain in close contact with investigators.
Here’s what we know so far about what happened and who was affected.
Was Goodstein in the house at the time of the fire?
Goodstein was reportedly walking her dogs on the beach at the time the fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. In her first comments following the fire, she told the Daily Mail on Monday morning that she was “alright.”
How many people were hurt in the fire?
A total of three people were injured in Saturday’s fire. One of them was airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina, and two others were taken to the same hospital, local TV station WCSC reported, citing Colleton County Fire Rescue Capt. K.C. Campbell.
The extent of their injuries is not known, and their names have not been released.
How did people escape from the house?
WCBD
The people who were in the Goodstein home during the fire escaped by jumping from an elevated first floor, the St. Paul’s Fire District said in a social media post.
The house is located on a barrier island in a remote area that creates challenges for firefighters, the fire district explained.
“Due to the remoteness and layout of the lot, the occupants had to be rescued from the backyard via kayaks and brought to Colleton County EMS, where they received medical aid,” the post said.
What are authorities investigating?
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire, which is still active and ongoing. Keel said that a report will be issued by agents when they are finished and have determined the cause of the fire.
Who is Judge Goodstein?
Diane Goodstein has been a state judge for 27 years. She recently oversaw a controversial case from a voter who sued the Election Commission of South Carolina over the release of voter registration documents requested by the federal government.
The documents contain sensitive information, like names, addresses, birthdates, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of a person’s Social Security number.
The Department of Justice was looking to compare the voter registrations with a separate database in its effort to root out alleged illegal immigrants who the Trump administration suspected of unlawfully voting in South Carolina elections.
Last month, Goodstein blocked the state’s Election Commission from releasing the data. The ruling put her at odds with the Trump administration and the state’s Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who filed an emergency petition to overturn the decision.
About a week later, the state Supreme Court lifted the restraining order put in place by Goodstein, saying the judge didn’t make it clear what damage she believed the plaintiff would experience if the data was released to the federal government.
Goodstein has reportedly received death threats for weeks related to the September ruling.
