911 tapes say fire began behind store

Passing motorists and a store worker frantically called Charleston authorities about a fire behind a furniture store the night nine firefighters perished inside, according to 911 tapes. An employee said the area was where workers took smoke breaks.

While federal investigators probing the blaze have not confirmed where the Monday night fire started, recordings of some of the 10 calls bolster what several city fire officials have said: The fire apparently started at the back of the store in a covered space between the showroom and a warehouse crammed with furniture.