Campus honors beach house blaze victims

Hundreds of mourners gathered at the University of South Carolina to remember seven students who were killed last month when a beach house caught fire while they celebrated the end of the season's warm weather.

Six wreaths dedicated to the USC students bore a single red flower. A seventh wreath was decorated in purple and orange in tribute to the Clemson University student who also died in the Oct. 28 blaze.

"We have now had seven funerals," said Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs at USC, said during the Wednesday service. "Still, we find we have an ache in our hearts that just won't leave. But we must carry on. Folding our losses into our own lives, we must each return our focus to living."

The students were killed in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Most were avid Gamecock football fans and had been watching college football that weekend.

Authorities have ruled the fire accidental and said a discarded cigarette or other smoking materials may have caused the fire.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said the tragedy evoked questions without answers.

"What I do know is there's a loving God out there who creates and brings purpose to every good and bad thing in this lifetime," Sanford said.

Students at the memorial, attended by about 1,500 people, wore the school colors, garnet and black. Some wore ribbons and each was handed a black sticker emblazoned with the school seal and "Forever to Thee," the last line of the university's alma mater.

Six students survived and attended the hourlong service, which included a slide show of campus photographs and events interspersed with pictures of the victims. Relatives of those killed also attended.

Sara Hartley, a graduate student, said she didn't know any of the victims but was compelled to attend.

"It was important for me to come just to show my support for the families," said the 23-year-old Kentucky native. "I think if we can get together as one Carolina community, maybe it'll help them get through this rough time."

After the memorial, the families planned to attend a reception hosted by the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Many of the victims and survivors were members of the organizations.