OAN’s James Meyers
7:56 AM -Saturday, April 6, 2024
A small fire started outside the office of Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders in Vermont, causing minor damage with no injuries, the Burlington Fire Department said Friday.
Firefighters responded to the call on Friday morning between the vestibule, the elevator and the entrance door of Sanders’ third-floor office in Burlington.
The door to Sanders’s office was damaged as a result of the fire, and all buildings were evacuated and searched, according to NBC 5.
“The fire was extinguished, and the Senator’s office and surrounding offices were searched and cleared of occupants. No injuries were reported,” the Burlington Fire Department said. “The door to the Senator’s office sustained moderate fire damage, and the third floor and floors below sustained significant water damage. Fire crews deployed salvage covers on the floors below to protect items from water.”
The Burlington Police Department, the Burlington Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Vermont State Police are now investigating the fire.
“We are grateful to the Burlington Fire and Police Departments who responded immediately today to a fire incident that took place in our office building,” Kathryn Van Haste, the state director for Sanders’s office, said in a statement. “We are relieved that no one on our staff and, to our understanding, no one in the building was harmed. Thank you as well to the Vermont State Police for their assistance and the efforts of the U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms, who are working in coordination with local first responders.”
Investigators said a male sprayed a possible accelerant on the office floor, set it on fire, and left.
“A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives,” Burlington police said in a statement. “The sprinkler system then engaged and largely extinguished the fire.”
Meanwhile, the investigation has been transferred to the Vermont State Police, which will do a joint investigation with the Burlington Police Department.
Authorities are still determining a possible motive for the fire at the Vermont Senator’s building.
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