Thankfully no one was hurt and it was under control quickly:

quote:

Fire on White House grounds under control Hundreds evacuated after blaze breaks out close to VP's ceremonial office MSNBC News Services updated 1 hour, 37 minutes ago WASHINGTON - A fire broke out near Vice President Dick Cheney's ceremonial office in a building overlooking the White House Wednesday, forcing hundreds of government staffers to evacuate. Cheney was in the White House with President Bush receiving their morning intelligence briefings when the blaze began and people were evacuated from the executive office building safely, White House officials said. Smoke billowed from the second floor of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a hulking granite structure that is part of the White House complex and faces the West Wing of the presidential mansion. Firefighters arrived and quickly brought the blaze under control within an hour. "Everyone's been evacuated safely," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said. "There were no injuries that we know of." The fire appeared to have been contained to only a few offices. Smoke was wafting from one window of Cheney's office. He usually works inside the White House itself. Firefighters saw smoke coming out of telephone or electrical equipment and there was no indication of terrorism, Alan Etter, a fire department spokesman said. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22325791/

I emphasized two points here - one is that smoke was coming out of one windown in Cheney's office. The other is smoke coming out of telephone or electrical equipment, insinuating an accidental electrical fire of sorts. Let's examine a little closer. And for all you fellow Tin Foil Hat (TFH) members, now's the time to put on your helmets.

That particular office area for Dick is used for office meetings and press interviews:

quote:

n addition to the Vice President's Office in the West Wing, the Vice President and his staff maintain a set of offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), which is located next to the West Wing on the White House premises. The Vice President's Office in the EEOB is called the Vice President's Ceremonial Office. This restored, historical office served as the Navy Secretary's Office when the EEOB housed the State, Navy and War Departments. Today, the Vice President uses the office for meetings and press interviews. http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/ovp.html

But let's take an even closer look at function of the Eisenhower Executive Office where the fire resided. This is from the architect/engineer contracted to modernize the building:

quote:

Computer Facilities Modernization of the EEOB includes the transformation of the existing structure into a state-of-the art facility, featuring a secure computer facility and secure conference rooms. These spaces provide secure areas for classified and unclassified data as well as confidential meeting space. Audio-Visual Components The addition of a highly complex and innovative audio-visual system to support intelligence mission execution is vital to the EEOB, in light of the highly classified data contained within the structure. Integrated systems included a multi-media conference center that was developed with complex audio-visual systems. Internal Communication Design and integration of internal red/black communication networks is integral to facilities associated with complex and classified information systems. HSMM factored this critical consideration into the design of communication networks for this mission-critical facility. Distribution systems included red/black separation design for power and communication systems. SCIF and Secure Areas The EEOB contains 150,000 square feet of SCIF-ready space providing secure containers for information stored within the building. The use of Department of Defense AT/FP design criteria and construction standards provides heightened security for the executive branch of government. HSMM incorporated features such as blast and ballistic resistant windows into the design. http://www.hsmm.aecom.com/About/60/93/index.jsp

Now here's something that's also a bit interesting. The Office of the Administration is housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office. What is the OA responsible for?:

quote:

personnel management services, including equal employment opportunity programs; · financial management services; · data processing, including support and services; · library, records and information services (emphasis mine); · office services and operations, including mail, messenger, printing and duplication, graphics, word processing, procurement, and supply services; and · any other administrative support or service, which will achieve financial savings and increase efficiency through centralization of the supporting service

One has to wonder if there was any possible damage to any data being stored there.

Then one has to also wonder exactly what kind of data is being stored there in the first place.

There's a great deal of information that this Executive office and especially Cheney has kept from view despite court orders and Congressional subpoenas. The Energy Task Force meetings with Cheney:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...5111501842.html

meetings with Jack Abramoff:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic.../w100931S95.DTL

meetings with conservative Christian leaders:

http://www.reuters.com/article/poli...742338820071217

Cheney's self-exemption to a law that demands executive offices show the volume of documents they classify and declassify:

http://blogs.trb.com/news/politics/...ality_of_c.html
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/a...s_cid=rss:site1

down to Cheney creating a new secret document classification on his own and storing those documents in man-size Mosler safes:

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Chene...orted_0623.html


We'll see what type of information continues to remain unobtainable in the future, but perhaps this is the culprit of the fire:

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2...dding-soars.php

The shredders catching fire from the overload?


/tin foil hat



Whew. Where am I?



Added in Edit: Oh, and I also scratch my head at the timing of the news on the CIA torture tapes being destroyed too. Gosh, I sure hope no data is destroyed in this fire. That would seem a bit, uhh, strange with this Executive office, wouldn't it?

___________________
Whence September dusk grows crisper still,
with leaves all crimson conquered,
I yearn to shout,
and dance about,
and stick pickles in my honker...