ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 TAG: 9703260065
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
A construction worker's blowtorch probably caused a fire in the attic of the federal courthouse Tuesday morning, a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent said.
The fire closed all but the first floor of the four-story building and caused moderate damage. The U.S. District Court clerk, whose office is on the third floor, set up shop in the lobby of an annex next door to receive court filings. There were no injuries.
``There was surprisingly little damage,'' said Paul Brier, who oversees 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals offices. ``From what I saw on television, I was expecting a major catastrophe.''
A portion of the building once served as the offices of the Confederate treasury. It has been under renovation for nearly a year and a half and improvements include installation of fire sprinklers, which were not yet working.
Dunham said the ATF still had to interview several construction workers before determining the exact cause of the fire. But he said investigators believe the torch accidentally heated a piece of wood, which smoldered for several hours before breaking into flames.
-ASSOCIATED PRESS
LENGTH: Short : 34 linesby CNB