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During a memorial service, members of the community will come together to remember honor the Charleston nine. This service will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and it's the first time the general public has been allowed onto the Savannah Highway site since the fire.
ABC News 4 takes a look on the past two years and all the events that have unfolded from this tragedy.
Sofa Super Store Fire Timeline:
June 18, 2007
Nine Charleston firefighters killed in the Sofa Super Store fire. This was the nation's worst single loss of firefighters since 9/11. Dozens of federal, state and local investigators met together to determine the cause.
June 21, 2007
Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten ruled on the deaths of the nine firefighters. She cited smoke inhalation and extensive burns. It was revealed that the sofa store had no sprinklers and was exempt from new state building codes.
June 23, 2007
Information was revealed the fire started in the sofa store's loading dock area.
July 25, 2007
The city launched a review of the fire department's response to the blaze and its ability to handle similar emergencies in the future. A six-member outside panel was assembled.
June 26, 2007
Information revealed Charleston's safety guidelines differed from federal safety guidelines.
August 10, 2007
Mayor Riley selected a team of six fire-rescue professionals to take an in-depth look at how the deadly blaze was handled. Also, more than 900 radio transmissions by the city of Charleston were made public.
August 17, 2007
The panel developed a wide array of needed training and equipment changes. Recommendations included: more firefighters per truck, more dispatchers, a formal command structure for managing all incidents, appointing a specific officer to monitor safety at fires, following federal standards and reinforcing safety procedures for off-duty firefighters who respond to emergencies.
August 21, 2007
Investigators returned to the ruins of the Sofa Super Store. Reports found exit doors locked with chains and padlocks.
September 5, 2007
The Charleston Fire Department's chief officers underwent training in Maryland to improve their ability to command firefighting efforts at large blazes and other critical incidents.
October 1, 2008
The family of a Charleston firefighter who died in the Sofa Super Store fire sued the store's owner, several furniture manufacturers and other companies, alleging the businesses were negligent in his death.
October 17, 2007
Phase 1 of a report from a panel of fire experts was released.
November 3, 2007
Mark Ruppel, a volunteer firefighter, was named public information officer for the Charleston Fire Department.
December 3, 2007
The City of Charleston paid $3,160 in fines. The city was also faulted for its written procedures for command at fires. Charleston had initially faced four charges, but was only fined for two
December 12, 2007
A family of a Charleston firefighter who died in the Sofa Super Store fire sued the store's owner, several furniture manufacturers and other companies, alleging the businesses were negligent in his death.
January 10, 2008
The Charleston Fire Department released a report on changes they have made since the sofa store fire.
March 29, 2008
The Charleston Fire Department suspended a captain for two weeks without pay and gave another firefighters a written warning for violating a department policy that required firefighters to wear protective gear.
April 12, 2008
A widow of a firefighter who died in the Sofa Super Store fire sued the store's owner, several furniture manufacturers and other companies, alleging the businesses were negligent in his death.
May 14, 2008
Chief Thomas announced his resignation from the department. Also, two families of the Charleston firefighters killed in the Sofa Super Store fire sued the store's owner, several furniture manufacturers and other companies, alleging the businesses were negligent in their death.
May 15, 2008
The second half of a report was released. The report cited water issues, inadequate training and the culture of the department, among other things.
May 20, 2008
Mayor Riley announced Assistant Chief Ronnie Classen will serves as acting chief when Rusty Thomas retires at the end of June.
May 28, 2009
The City of Charleston spent or set aside more than $7.4 million in response to the Sofa Super Store fire, which much of it is to improve the fire department.
May 30, 2008
The family of a sixth Charleston firefighter killed in the Sofa Super Store fire sued the store's owner, several furniture manufacturers and other companies, alleging the businesses were negligent in his death.
May 31, 2008
A group of 18 firefighters, a deputy sheriff, and a physician set out on a 600-mile “Brotherhood Ride” from Naples, FL to Charleston, SC to provide financial and emotional support to the families of the nine firefighters killed in the Sofa Super Store Fire.
June 18, 2008
Two memorial services were held to honor the one year anniversary of the Charleston Nine Firefighters who died in the Sofa Super Store fire. A morning service at the Gaillard Auditorium remembered the nine firefighters with family, fellow firefighters, and other members of the public attending. Later that evening, a private service for families of the Charleston nine and the City of Charleston firefighters at the site of the Sofa Super Store. This service was not open to the public.
July 8, 2008
The families of two more Charleston firefighters killed in the Sofa Super Store fire sued the store’s owner, several furniture manufacturers and other companies, alleging the businesses were negligent in their deaths.
September 24, 2008
Mayor Riley released the names of seven candidates to replace the former Fire Chief Thomas.
November 3, 2008
The state named the section of Highway 17 in West Ashley as the Charleston Nine Memorial Highway as a tribute to keeping the memory of those firefighters alive.
November 25, 2008
Twenty-two recruits graduated from the Charleston Fire Department’s four-week training program. This was the largest group of recruits in the department’s history.
December 9, 2008
The families of eight of the nine Charleston firefighters reached a multimillion-dollar partial settlement with several companies they claimed were negligent in the deaths. Those companies have agreed to pay the families a total of $5.6 million.
December 20, 2008
The Charleston Fire Department lost its top fire-protection rating from the insurance industry. The Insurance Services Office downgraded the city's Class 1 rating to a 3, effective May 1, 2009.
February 13, 2009
The final National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report gave 43 recommendations for preventing another tragedy of this extent from happening again. They suggested everything from better equipment and training to tougher building codes.
May 26, 2009
A commission recommended a plan for the vacant site of the Sofa Super Store to be redeveloped as a memorial, training and educational facility, and a new fire Department Headquarters.
June 14, 2009
Two fellow firefighters created the first annual Firefighter 5k “Run for the Nine.” This 5k run was to honor the Charleston Nine as well as to raise money for equipment. The race took place at the Palmetto Islands County Park in Mount Pleasant.
June 15, 2009
The City of Charleston firefighters inspected dozens of furniture stores across the city as part of a nationwide push to prevent tragedy. Fire departments across the country also performed the inspections to honor the nine fire fighters that died in the tragic Sofa Super Store fire two years ago.
June 18, 2009
A memorial service held at the Sofa Super Store site remembers the Charleston Nine who died in the tragic Sofa Super Store fire two years ago. This ceremony is open to the public between 7 and 10 p.m. No speeches or presentations are planned. Fire Chief Thomas Carr will simply read the names of the nine men and a fire bell will ring for each.
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