The home of Diane Goodstein, a circuit court judge in South Carolina, caught fire over the weekend, prompting the evacuation of her husband and family.
The home is owned by Goodstein and her husband, Arnold Goodstein, a former state lawmaker and veteran. Firefighters from multiple fire departments responded Saturday, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said. Law enforcement officials did not say if they are investigating the fire as an arson attack.
“At this time, we do not know whether the fire was accidental or arson. Until that determination is made, [State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel] has alerted local law enforcement to provide extra patrols and security,” South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge said. He noted that the fire appeared to be the result of an “explosion.”
Diane Goodstein was not home, but her husband, son, and at least one of her grandchildren were inside the house at the time of the fire. Three people were injured and were taken to the hospital, one via air lift.
The St. Paul’s Fire District said some occupants escaped the fire by jumping from the first floor and that some were rescued from the backyard via kayaks due to the remote nature of the home.
Video footage of the fire showed the waterside home fully engulfed in flames, with a thick cloud of smoke rising from it.
Goodstein ruled against the Trump administration last month. She temporarily blocked South Carolina’s election commission from releasing voter files to fulfill a Justice Department request. DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon openly criticized the ruling.
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The state Supreme Court later overturned her ruling.
The judge had received death threats in the weeks leading up to the fire, according to FITSNews, which first reported the fire.
