THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 22, 1994 TAG: 9411220608
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JODY R. SNIDER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Police have requested an arson investigation into a weekend fire that swept the new offices of the Isle of Wight commonwealth's attorney and a private law practice.
The law staffs were to have moved into the downtown Main Street building today. No documents were damaged because no files had been transferred, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney William H. Riddick III said Monday.
Riddick also has a private law practice, and he and his partner, William K. Barlow, a state delegate, were to have moved into the new office today.
The Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire report about 9:20 a.m. Sunday. No damage estimate had been released Monday, Police Chief Mark A. Marshall said.
``We requested an arson investigator from the Virginia State Police,'' he said Monday. ``It's still under investigation.''
Smithfield Police Lt. Phil Hardison said investigators found an extension cord on the floor that was plugged into a temporary electrical box on the outside of the building.
``The cord itself was hot,'' Hardison said.
The building, valued at $380,000, was constructed by contractor Danny Smith of Smith Construction.
Riddick said the structure will be repaired and that it will take two to three months to do it.
``It looks worse today than it did yesterday - and it looked pretty bad yesterday,'' Riddick said Monday.
Meanwhile, the commonwealth's attorney's staff and the private practice will be able to remain in their existing offices, he added.
Police hope to know the fire's cause by Wednesday, Hardison said.
KEYWORDS: ARSON FIRE by CNB