THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, July 18, 1996               TAG: 9607180384
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: HAMPTON                           LENGTH:   45 lines

INVESTIGATORS SAY FIRE THAT DESTROYED LIBRARY AT LANGLEY WAS ARSON

Air Force investigators have determined that the fire that destroyed the Langley Air Force Base library July 7 was deliberately set.

The fire destroyed the 90,000-volume library and the base linen exchange, causing more than $4 million in damage, officials said Tuesday. The five-hour blaze started around 10 p.m., and no one was injured.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is conducting a criminal investigation. Officials would not provide further details or a possible motive.

``We know where the fire started and have the preliminaries on what started the fire,'' Langley Fire Chief Charlie Bowen said.

Bowen said the fire began in the linen exchange portion of the building and spread to the library. Both areas were closed when the fire broke out, said base spokeswoman 1st Lt. Patricia Lang.

Burning paper, linens and a nearly 20 mph crosswind fed the fire as it melted windows and collapsed the one-story building's roof. Firefighters attempting to find the source of the blaze were driven out by the heat a mere 10 minutes after entering the burning building.

Bowen said fire investigators quickly eliminated many of the common elements that start fires. They ruled out electrical wires, gas lines, heaters and cigarette smoking as possibilities.

``Once you eliminate those, you start looking for the uncommon causes,'' Bowen said.

Laboratory analysis of materials from the site led to the conclusion of arson. The building will be demolished after all evidence is collected and a new building constructed, Bowen said.

Base leaders remain undecided about whether to establish another library, and library officials are working to determine what would be required to do so.

Senior Airman Paula Kurtz, a base spokeswoman, said some of the material would be difficult to replace, including early histories of flying at Langley. And the expense of certain reference works may preclude replacing Langley's entire collection.

``They may not be able to replace the exact volumes,'' Kurtz said, ``but they will replace the information.''

KEYWORDS: ARSON by CNB