> > U.S. Newswire > > 1 Mar 15:39 > > > > National Archives and Records Administration Statement on Records > > Center Fire > > To: National Desk > > Contact: National Archives Public Affairs, 301-713-6000 > > > > WASHINGTON, March 1, /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a > > statement from John W. Carlin, archivist of the United States, > > on the Feb. 29 Records Center Fire: > > > > Yesterday (Tuesday, Feb. 29), the National Archives and Records > > Administration (NARA) reported a fire in its Washington National > > Records Center in Suitland, Md. The fire was contained by the > > Center's fire-safety system and extinguished with no reports of > > harm to staff or visitors, but some records were damaged. The > > following is an update on that from Archivist of the United States > > John Carlin. > > > > Although much work will be needed before we can be certain, we > > believe that of the total of more than 3.7 million cubic feet of > > records at Suitland, approximately 3,000 cubic feet were in the > > immediate area. Of those, fewer than 300 cubic feet may have been > > destroyed. Most of the affected records were wet or damp from > > sprinkler water or in singed boxes. Our staff at Suitland stayed > > up through last night making valiant efforts to protect records > > from water damage and otherwise dealing with the fire's effects, > > working with personnel from the General Services Administration, > > from which we lease the facility. > > > > The cause of the fire is as yet undetermined. Because the > > property is Federal, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, > > and Firearms as well as GSA fire investigators were notified. As > > the investigation continues, the following is what we know about > > the fire so far. > > > > The sprinkler alarms were activated at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, and > > alerted the GSA Control Center that there was a problem. The first > > fire company arrived sometime between 2:45 and 2:50. A fireman on > > the scene was overcome with smoke at which point firemen abandoned > > Stack 15 to open the roof hatches to vent the smoke. This process > > apparently took approximately one hour to accomplish before the > > firemen returned to Stack 15 to begin to extinguish the fire. The > > sprinkler system contained the fire during the period between > > 2:30 and 3:50 at which point the firemen were able to enter the > > stack. At 8:13 p.m. the firemen on the scene felt that the fire was > > sufficiently extinguished to allow the investigation to begin in > > the stack. > > > > Our tracking system enabled us to identify the records on the > > shelves affected by the fire, and agencies whose records may have > > been affected have been notified. But we won't be able to identify > > exactly which records have been affected and how seriously until > > the investigation of the area is completed and we can examine the > > materials more closely. > > > > I will provide further information as it becomes available. > > > > ------ > > For further information, contact the National Archives public > > affairs staff at 301-713-6000. > > > > -0- > > /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ > > 03/01 15:39 > > > > Copyright 2000, U.S. Newswire > > > > > > > ==== ALABAMA Mailing List ==== > ** Use your subject line wisely! Place surnames, locations and dates there whenever possible! >