Posted on 06/08/2008 5:52:34 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Fire destroys Texas governor's mansion
12 minutes ago
Texas state officials say a four-alarm fire has caused "catastrophic" damage to the Texas Governor's Mansion in Austin.
Governor's spokesman Robert Black says said no one was inside the 150-year-old home when the fire began shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday. He says the cause is not yet known.
The mansion had been undergoing a $10 million renovation and Gov. Rick Perry and his wife had moved out last fall.
Black says the damage to the mansion "is extraordinary, bordering on catastrophic."
He says more than 100 firefighters are at the scene and the roof of the mansion is very unstable.
They must have found accelerants.
Like I said, either the evidence is there, or it's not. And you know pretty quickly. Probably the investigators walked in and could smell it -
If the structure was open, as the article implies (interior stripped and walls open to work on pipes), it wouldn't have been hard for somebody to get in and start something. But the fact that this fire started centrally and low means that it probably wasn't just kids or casual vandals.
It's a crying shame that somebody would do this to a historical building.
Hope they catch 'em and throw the book at 'em.
Thanks for the update. Hopefully nmh won't find out the ATF people are at the Governor's mansion instead of on the border taking care of the only issue that counts.
In the event nmh should ever post a thread lamenting the fact that someone intentionally set her house on fire, we can inform her that it’s just a building and change the subject to what brats her family members are.
Maybe at that point, she’ll finally get it.
The Capitol is a wonderful family outing
One would think caretakers would be watching out for this place.
Ping!
Actually, it is the Texans for obama, but I use Hussein instead.
Looking at those pics again, I notice that there's no smoke damage out the tops of the 2nd story windows.
That argues against a central location, given the heavy damage to the 2nd story windows under the front portico - if the location had been in the crawlspace halfway back under the center hall, you would expect the side windows to show SOME smoke - although if it's a typical center-hall Greek Revival mansion, the fire would tend to burn up and out through the central hall.
So somebody need not have gone deep into the house or into the crawlspace. Gasoline poured in the central hall and the vapors drifting towards the open front door . . . . once the roof structure was breached the fire would spread through the attic.
Well, the fire marshal already knows the point of origin inside the house - just follow that "V" back to its lowest point inside, and you know exactly where it started. And the forensic chemists no doubt already have their jars full of chunks of half-burnt flooring from the point of origin . . .
I just HATE to see this. There are very few historic buildings in the South, and we really can't afford to lose many of them.
I hope somebody talks. No honor among crooks, thank goodness.
I’m sure she will be true to her convictions and barely notice the inconvenience of a blaze. She will be too busy rounding up all the illegals from Texas in NJ and deporting them (as she points out this is a job we Texans refuse to do). I’ve wondered why she doesn’t respond to my last few posts. Maybe I win?
bttt
But given that it was being renovated, I'd think some accident by the workmen...but it is Sunday, so maybe not.
On a Saturday night/Sunday morning?
“That photos just makes me sick and I’m not from TX. I am so sorry for the Texas peoples’ loss today, the part of history that can’t be replaced by a million insurance policies. What a grand old house.”
You are a genuinely nice person, you know that? Everytime I see you on a thread, I get a warm feeling and a smile.
Thanks.
Well DUH !!!...Texas also has some 1200+ MILES of southern border that YOUR fed. gov. refuses to secure.
I'm tired of crooked politicians in your state not making this happen.
Believe me, there are plenty Texans tired of crooked pols EVERYWHERE that refuse to secure all U.S. borders.
How nice of you to lay all the blame in Texas.....and since you claim to know so much, please tell us WHAT the crooked pols. in CA, AZ, & NM have done (at a state level) to secure their less than 800 miles of borders.
psst...it's also the feds that were issuing the 'run letters' to the OTM's, & continue to let the 'mexicans only' use the revolving door.
We have a substantial population of Tejanos, whose families were here before any Gringos from Tennessee showed up. How did you tell the difference?
Just so you know, nmh is from New Jersey. No crooked politicians there.
It's not Texas job to defend the borders, that's a federal responsibility and power. When we do it anyway, the federales get their panties in a wad.
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