Lingering questions after arson ruled out in devastating fire at judge’s waterfront mansion

South Carolina authorities are stepping back from arson as a potential cause for the fire at the waterfront home of a longtime judge and her Vietnam War hero husband after a preliminary investigation — but questions remain about the cause of the blaze that leveled their million-dollar home in Edisto Beach.

Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, 69, was out walking her dogs when the house went up in flames Saturday, according to the Post and Courier. Her husband, 81-year-old former state lawmaker Arnold Goodstein, reportedly suffered broken legs after jumping out a window to escape the heat. Their son and grandson were also injured.

“At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set,” Mark Keel, chief of South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), said Monday night. “SLED agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.”

Investigators were still looking into the cause of the fire, however.

Three people were hospitalized, and Arnold Goodstein reportedly broke both legs after jumping out of a backyard window. Details about the injuries of two more victims, believed to be other family members, remain unclear.

According to Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., the blaze also killed the family’s pets.

What evidence has been collected?

Fire marshals have likely already evaluated what remains of the burned-out structure as they searched for signs of its origin and potential accelerants, according to Fire Administration guidelines. The full investigation, which may include forensic testing of materials recovered from the scene, could take up to several months.

Bystanders also took video from the air and water nearby, which may or may not have evidentiary value.