Fire breaks out in Old Executive Office Building
People were evacuated because of the blaze, which started on the second floor of the building near the vice president's ceremonial office.
A fire broke out this morning at the Old Executive Office Building near the vice president’s ceremonial office. [IMGCAP(1)]The building was evacuated after the fire alarm sounded, according to an Office of Management and Budget official in the building during the alarm. “The smoke was billowing in the hallway,” the official said. The ceremonial office is on the second floor of the building, near the office of Karen Evans, OMB’s administrator for e-government and information technology. The official said no one had heard heard of any injuries or the how the fire started. The Associated Press is reporting that a spokesman for the Washington, D.C., Fire Department said the fire started in an electrical closet or telephone bank area on the third floor.
“OMB staff from the Eisenhower building have primarily moved to temporary offices in the adjacent New Executive building,” said an OMB spokeswoman. “We are conducting business as usual on a very unusual day. We echo the President in thanking the firefighters for their quick work in addressing the fire.”