STATter 911

Above, before and after pictures provided by The White House

Thick black smoke billowed from a fire Wednesday on the White House compound in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

The fire was on the second floor in Vice President Cheney's suite of ceremonial offices. Cheney and President Bush were across the street in the West Wing of the White House when the blaze broke out.

Secret Service spokesman Darrin Blackford said the Old Executive Office building was evacuated as a precaution. "Everyone has been evacuated safely," White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said.

There were no reports of serious injuries, DC fire department spokesman Alan Etter said. According to Etter, a U.S. Marine used his hand to break a fifth-floor window to escape from the smoke and made his way to a ledge. Two members of Rescue Squad 1 got the man off the ledge and provided him air as they removed him from the building. The man was treated on the scene.

Four other people were led to safety by D.C. firefighters.

The Executive Office Building, a commanding structure with a granite, slate and cast iron exterior at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, houses the Office of Management and Budget and staff of the National Security Council and other agencies.

Originally built for the State, War and Navy Departments between 1871 and 1888, the building was renamed in honor of President Dwight Eisenhower during the Clinton administration.

City officials, citing security concerns, were limited in their comments about exactly where and how the fire started. Sources says it appeared to have started in a utility closet that is part of the Vice-President's ceremonial office. The fire spread into the office and into a small portion of the third floor.

STATter 911 has learned there was some confusion in the dispatch of the call. The Office of Unified Communications (OUC), the city's 911 center, advised firefighters the call was at the Old Executive Office Building in the 900 block of 17th Street, NW. The building is actually in the 600 block. Alan Etter said firefighters immediately realized the conflicting information and sent units to check both locations. According to Etter, crews were on the scene in about 3 minutes and the bad information did not impact the handling of the emergency. No word from OUC officials as to how the error occurred.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 9:55 AM