Investigation launched after South Carolina judge’s house burns down

UPDATE (Oct. 6, 2025, 6:18 p.m. ET): The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said enforcement officials said Monday afternoon that there is no initial evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set. The investigation remains ongoing.

Authorities are investigating a fire that destroyed the island home of a longtime South Carolina judge and her husband, a former state lawmaker.

The house, in a gated community on the coast in Edisto Beach (about 50 miles southwest of Charleston), belongs to state Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, former Democratic state Sen. Arnold Goodstein.

Saturday’s fire comes one month after Judge Goodstein temporarily blocked the state from handing the Justice Department the personal data of millions of voters. The state Supreme Court overturned her ruling shortly after.

Videos showed a large blaze and clouds of smoke engulfing the three-story home. Fire officials said people had to be rescued from the backyard by kayak.

The judge, who has served on the bench since 1998, was walking her dogs at the time, but her husband was home and jumped out the back to escape, a neighbor told The Post and Courier.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is leading the investigation, told MSNBC that the probe is “active and ongoing.”