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Fires and Other Emergencies at the White House

By Daniella Nicole, published Dec 19, 2007
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'There is no terrorist attack'. Those are the words of Washington's Fire Chief Kenneth Crosswhite when explaining to the press the fire that burned part of the white house compound on December 19, 2007. The fire was limited to Vice-President Dick Cheney's Ceremonial Office, Room 274, which is not inside the White House itself, but is located in a building next to it. There were no reported injuries from the blaze, and at the time of this report, the cause is not yet known. That fire is not the first one seen by the White House.

In 1814, during the war of 1812, the British set fire to the White House. Only the walls remained of President James Madison's White House after the Brits were done. A thunderstorm was a timely savior in preventing complete destruction of the landmark.

Another fire occurred at the White House in 1929, during the presidency of Herbert Hoover. Located in the West Wing, the fire occurred during a dinner party. The president gathered some important papers while the party continued during the blaze. An interesting note about this fire is that it was in December, Christmas Eve to be exact, and it resulted in the President using room 274 as his temporary office.

The White House has been the scene of other emergency situations as well. On February 7, 2001, just following a presidential speech on the White House lawn, a gunman fired shots at the White House. He was captured by Secret Service Agents, and suffered only one gunshot wound to his knee.

In September of 1994 a light plane crashed on the lawn of the White House just under the President's bedroom window. The pilot did not survive. Security is tight around the White House, including snipers located on the White House roof. Any aircraft invading White House airspace may lawfully be shot down. In this instance, the plane crashed without the assistance of snipers.

Fires and Other Emergencies at the White House
Date: December 19, 2007
Takeaways
  • The fire of December 19, 2007 is not the first White House Fire.
  • Several security breaches by aricraft have occured at the White House.
  • Multiple armed individuals have been stopped before getting into the White House.
Comments
Comments 1 - 7 of 7
 
 
The fire was in the Old Executive Office Building which has been under construction for some time.

Posted on 12/20/2007 at 12:12:30 PM

 
Thanks for the information!

Posted on 12/20/2007 at 11:12:32 AM

 
Very interesting information, especially the parts about the White House security breaches.

Posted on 12/20/2007 at 9:12:06 AM

 
Very interesting article! I hadn't even heard about it. I should stay up on the news a little better, I think.

Posted on 12/19/2007 at 8:12:37 PM

 
Of all places the fire could've caught, it chose Dick cheney's offices!

Posted on 12/19/2007 at 5:12:32 PM

 
Thank you very much.

Posted on 12/19/2007 at 4:12:57 PM

 
Interesting. Quick reporting...well done!

Posted on 12/19/2007 at 3:12:28 PM

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