CARA L BECK wrote: > > Sharing ...From one of my other lists > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gail Meyer Kilgore" <gkilgore@primenet.com> > To: <ALEXANDER-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2000 2:34 AM > Subject: [ALEXANDER-L] FIRE!! > > > Full of good news tonight or this morning!! > > > > National Archives and Records Administration News Release > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > ---- > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2000 > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > ---- > > > > Statement on Records Center Fire, National Archives and Records > > Administration > > Yesterday (Tuesday, February 29), the National Archives and Records > > Administration (NARA) reported a fire in its Washington National Records > > Center in Suitland, Maryland. 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. > > > > JOHN W. CARLIN > > Archivist of the United States > > > > > > * * * * > > For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives > > Public Affairs staff at (301) 713-6000 or by e-mail. Visit the National > > Archives Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.nara.gov. > > > > 00-42 > > > > [Press Releases] > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > ---- > > > > National Archives and Records Administration > > URL: http://www.nara.gov/nara/pressrelease/nr00-42.html > > webmaster@arch2.nara.gov > > Last updated: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 > > > > > > ==== ALEXANDER Mailing List ==== > > Any complaints, please e-mail > > gkilgore@primenet.com > >