June 19 (Bloomberg) -- Nine firefighters were killed in Charleston, South Carolina, when the roof of a burning furniture store and warehouse collapsed as the men worked to rescue a trapped employee, Mayor Joe Riley said.

It was the fourth-largest loss of life among U.S. firefighters since 1977 and the worst since the 2001 collapse of New York's World Trade Center, said the National Fire Protection Association. The terrorist attack killed 343 firefighters, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

``Nine brave, heroic, courageous firefighters of the city of Charleston have perished fighting fire in a most courageous and fearless manner,'' Riley said in a broadcast news conference. ``It's a tragic event for our community.''

Arson isn't suspected, the mayor said, declining to elaborate on initial findings until investigations are completed. The one-story building had no sprinklers, said Mike Parrotta, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters-South Carolina.

``It appeared they were having a closeout sale, so it's likely they were overstocked and the fire load was greater than normal,'' Parrotta said.

Charleston Fire Chief Russell Thomas said at a news conference that ``a sprinkler system inside the building would have probably slowed the fire down.''

Sofa Store

The firefighters entered the Sofa Super Store at 7 p.m. yesterday to rescue an employee, Riley said. They broke through the rear of the warehouse to let him escape. The roof fell in before the firefighters could get out. A second worker had run out of the building earlier, he said.

Two fire stations were within a mile of the property and probably arrived within four minutes of the call, Parrotta said.

Store owner Herb Goldstein released a statement expressing his sadness, according to the Associated Press.

``All of us at Sofa Super Store are devastated and heartbroken by this tragedy,'' Goldstein said, according to AP. ``Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the heroic firefighters who lost their lives.''

His son Jeff said the elder Goldstein had owned the store for about 15 years, according to the news service.

1,000 Degrees

President George W. Bush issued a statement mourning the deaths.

``These firefighters were true heroes who demonstrated great skill and courage,'' he said.

Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which investigates commercial fires, were at the site, said city spokeswoman Barbara Vaughn. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also was at the scene, Parrotta said.

The dead ranged in age from 27 to 56, and had a total of 122 years with the fire department, according to Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten.

They are Captain William Hutchinson, 48; Captain Mike Benke, 49; Captain Louis Mulkey, 34; Engineer Mark Kelsey, 40; Engineer Bradford Baity, 37; Assistant Engineer Michael French, 27; firefighter James Drayton, 56; firefighter Brandon Thompson, 27; and firefighter Melven Champaign, 46.

``They really didn't have a chance,'' Charleston firefighter Eric Glover said in a broadcast interview. ``Once the fire moved through quickly, it weakened the building.''

The fire burned at temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius) based on the twisting of the steel beams, Parrotta said.

The city employed 237 firefighters, Vaughn said. Before the deaths last night, at least 47 U.S. firefighters had been killed this year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Fourteen died in a 1994 wildfire in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, while 10 were killed in a 1984 oil refinery blaze in Romeoville, Illinois, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nancy Kercheval in Washington at nkercheval@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 19, 2007 16:55 EDT