Fire at Sanders’s Vermont office being investigated as arson: Local officials

A fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office in Burlington is being investigated as arson, authorities said.

The Burlington Police Department (BPD) said in a media release that first responders from both the BPD and the Burlington Fire Department (BFD) were called to an “arson incident” that occurred Friday morning at a building that houses the senator’s office. announced.

“The investigation revealed that an unknown male subject entered the foyer of the office of U.S. Senator Bernard Sanders,” the press release reads. “The man sprayed an apparent accelerant on the entrance door to Sen. This prevented the staff who were in the room from leaving the building and put their lives at risk.”

Another BFD statement said crews arrived at Sanders’ office to find “the sprinkler system and fire alarm activated and a fire in the vestibule between the elevator and entrance door.” The fire has since been “extinguished,” and Mr. Sanders’ office and neighboring offices have been “searched and cleared of occupants.”

“No injuries were reported,” the BFD release said. “The door to the senator’s office sustained moderate fire damage, and the third floor and the floor below sustained significant water damage. Firefighters installed recovery covers on the lower floor to protect items from water. Did.”

BFD also said in a statement that the fire was determined to be “incendiary in nature” by the Burlington Fire Marshal’s Office.

At the time of BPD’s release, the suspect in the incident “has not been arrested.”

“We would like to thank the Burlington Fire and Police Departments for their immediate response to a fire incident at our office building today,” Sanders State Director Kathryn Van Heist said in a statement. report. “We are relieved that none of our staff were harmed and, as we understand it, no one else in the building was harmed.”

The Hill has reached out to Sanders’ office.