First top arson investigator remembered for contributions to CFD, community

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Fire Department arson investigators are working this week without a member who had been there for decades.

Art Goldner passed away this week.

The Arson Task Force has been busy recently because of two major apartment fires that investigators said were intentionally set.

Recent arson investigations:

• Fire that ripped through Charlotte apartment complex ruled arson
• Fire that destroyed office building at east Charlotte apartments ruled arson

Goldner was the task force’s first chief investigator and one of its founders.

"He enjoyed it so much it didn't seem like work to him," Goldner’s son, Eric Goldner, said.

The task force was created in 1984. One of its first investigators was David Lowery, who would become the second chief investigator.

"If you had a disagreement, you could go toe to toe with him, jaw to jaw across the table,” Lowery said. “But if anybody ever came after you or one of his people, he had your back."

Art Goldner was a first sergeant in the U.S. Marines, and he brought that attitude to work. In addition to helping to create the task force, Goldner also helped to create the 704M System, requiring companies to post placards of hazardous materials on their buildings so firefighters aren’t going in blind.

"Overall, in the grand scheme of things, he did the right thing in the right community for a great number of people that will never actually know all the contributions that he gave," Lowery said.

Cox Media Group