Interim Memorial Underway for 'Charleston 9'

March 31, 2011
A permanent memorial for the firefighters killed battling a massive 2007 fire is years away.
A permanent memorial for nine Charleston firefighters killed battling a massive fire in 2007 is still years away.

In the meantime, work started this week on an interim memorial at the fatal fire scene, The Post and Courier reported.

Currently, the field where the Sofa Super Store once stood has nine simple markers with flags.

The temporary memorial will involve the placement of sod with an irrigation system and a perimeter hedge, a lighted 25-foot flag pole with a marker explaining what happened on June 18, 2007.

Benches will circle the flagpole and markers will denote where each firefighter perished.

A crushed granite path will be created from the parking area to the flagpole.

The nine markers, being created by a Virginia firefighter, will actually be containers for flowers, the newspaper reported.

A mixture of city and private funds are being spent for the memorial.

Future plans for the site call for a fire department building and a permanent memorial.

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