Just received this from my Cousin Thought I would share!!> Derre > National Archives Statement on Records Center Fire > 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 > > >