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Blaze at White House Office Building
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ShareDecember 19, 2007 9:54 AM
ABC News' Ann Compton, Jon Garcia, Jonathan Karl, Karen Travers, and Jack Date Report: A fire broke out Wednesday near Vice President Dick Cheney's ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building -- a government building beside the White House.
President Bush and Cheney were in the Oval Office in meetings at the time of the fire, White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott Stanzel told reporters.
As thick, grey smoke billowed from the second floor, firefighters could be seen pouring water on the blaze, moving furniture from the office building onto a balcony. Some of the bullet-proof windows of the office building were broken and scorched.
As the fire broke out, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was vehemently complaining in a briefing with reporters about a New York Times story that said more members of the White House staff allegedly knew about the pending destruction of CIA interrogation tapes.
The Secret Service said the fire started on the second floor, but was quickly contained by firefighters. Officials evacuated the entire five-story office building as a precaution.
Darrin Blackford, spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service tells ABC News there was one minor injury, a laceration, which was treated at the scene by White House doctors. Otherwise, everyone was safely evacuated.
The Washington, D.C. fire department told the WMAL radio the fire started in an electrical or telephone closet. There was a great deal of smoke but no serious damage, a fire department spokesperson told the station.
The fire appeared to be under control within an hour.
Over 1,000 staff members have their office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building because there is not enough room inside the West Wing of the White House. Numerous staff members could been seen evacuating the office building, calmly walking down the steps of the building bundled in their winter coats.
Cheney uses his ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for staff meetings and talks with visiting dignitaries and large groups.
The commanding office building, which was original built for the State, War and Navy Departments between 1871 and 1888, houses the Office of Management and Budget and staff of the National Security Council and other agencies.
The fire and its aftermath didn't stop the president, who left the White House in a motorcade shortly after the fire was contained for the Department of Energy, where he signed into law new energy legislation.
Bush later came over to the office building to shake hands with the firefighters who helped to put out the blaze.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
December 19, 2007 in Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (28)
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Bring on the conspiracy theorists!
Posted by: befair1265 | Dec 19, 2007 10:10:07 AM
Let me go ahead and get the ball rolling here, because I can guess how this will play out. It's an inside job by the Bush administration. Did I guess correctly?
Posted by: TexBork | Dec 19, 2007 10:11:30 AM
Looks like the administration is destroying more evidence.
What do I have to do to get this post past the TypePad's antispam filter????
Posted by: Roy | Dec 19, 2007 10:12:36 AM
I suppose Bush is somehow responsible for this???
Posted by: Just Me | Dec 19, 2007 10:13:05 AM
they should have stuck to erasing the tapes.. Fire can be dangerous
Posted by: JENNY | Dec 19, 2007 10:15:39 AM
Thank Goodness no one was hurt. I am glad the Vice President was away from his office at the time.
Posted by: Jeanie | Dec 19, 2007 10:18:36 AM
B---is responsible and Ch----was unfortunately across the street sucking up.
It needed remodeling.
Posted by: Jaco | Dec 19, 2007 10:19:48 AM
Come on, why is everyone blaming Bush? I'm sure he doesn't know anything about this either.
Posted by: frank | Dec 19, 2007 10:20:26 AM
Thank goodness no one was hurt.
Posted by: Tyrone | Dec 19, 2007 10:20:44 AM
Let me guess. It's an inside job?
Posted by: TexBork | Dec 19, 2007 10:25:31 AM
Dick Cheney, I agree and I think those in congress who fought to secure our defeat in Iraq at a time of war must be held accountable for their actions as well, especially those who supported it first and then demanded our defeat later.
Posted by: TexBork | Dec 19, 2007 10:28:15 AM
Good way for Cheney to get rid of some of those embarassing documents he hides over there.
Posted by: 4cryingoutloud | Dec 19, 2007 10:29:36 AM
Everyone forgets who is really in charge of the whitehouse... Cheney is. if this is covering up anything it is covering up his actions / misdeeds.
Posted by: Steve | Dec 19, 2007 10:29:43 AM
Fire started by a hot cigar?
Posted by: zee | Dec 19, 2007 10:30:39 AM
Was this some kind of sacrafice or have we got religion out of the political area?
Come to think of it... anything that smacks of moratlity or good sense is a matter of church and is not used in matters of state.
Posted by: Toney | Dec 19, 2007 10:40:01 AM
what documents?
Posted by: Toney | Dec 19, 2007 10:42:15 AM
I suppose Bush is somehow responsible for this???
Posted by: Just Me | Dec 19, 2007 10:13:05 AM
*********************************
No, I'm sure it's Dick Cheney. Bush is too stupid to come up with something like this. Dick is the puppet man, bush is just a puppet.
Posted by: steve | Dec 19, 2007 10:47:32 AM
And surprise surprise some important documents and tapes will have been destroyed by the fire. Maybe we can get the VP for conspiracy to cover up crimes, or destroying evidence, or perhaps treason[probably guilty of all of the above]
Posted by: resada | Dec 19, 2007 10:50:13 AM
Thought maybe it might be one left over.
Posted by: zee | Dec 19, 2007 10:50:19 AM
The building is currently undergoing a $300+ million renovation, recently finished phase 1 and phase 2 is on going. There was a fire about 18 months ago in the phase 1 construction area on the 3rd floor. Where this fire was could be located in the Phase II or III areas.
Posted by: barney | Dec 19, 2007 10:53:16 AM
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