National Archives and Records Service film-vault fire at Suitland, Md. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, June 19 and 21, 1979 (1979)

Record Details:

Title:
National Archives and Records Service film-vault fire at Suitland, Md. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, June 19 and 21, 1979
Date:
1979
Publisher:
Washington : U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
Volume:
National Archives and Records Service film-vault fire at Suitland, Md. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, June 19 and 21, 1979
Leaf #:
000150
Language:
English
Subjects:
Washington National Records Center. Building A, Motion picture film collections
Collection:
Government & Law and Books
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Prelinger Library
Sponsor:
Internet Archive
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
Date Added:
July 19, 2022
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142 On the day of the fire, Decanber 7, 1978, two employees of the air conditioning contractor, Edward Kocherian, Inc., arrived at the Suitland Records Center at 7 a.m., without advance notice, after an absence of about two months. They brought with them an open-armature electric drill, ceiling bolts, and inserts. At that time all vaiHts were fully utilized for film storage, and all but one vault contained nitrate film. The contract comployees began at the north end of Building A; they drilled four holes in the ceiling of each A/ault and inserted four ceiling bolts in preparation for hanging the new air conditioning unit. After doing several vaults they ran out of bolts, but continued to drill holes. The film vault supervisor arrived at Building A about 10 a.m., complained about the dust being generated, and observed a number of vault doors open at the north end of the corridor. At about 11:30 a.m., work stopped and the two contract workers join^lNARS employees in the office at the south end of the building to eat lunch. Ten vaiilts had been worked on. Shortly after noon, smoke was discovered in the corridor of Building A by the employees having lunch. Ihe fire department was called, and employees and the contractor's men left the building inmediately. The fire department, upon arrival, found the fire still burning, the building full of smoke, and sprinklers operating within. Four firefighters entered the building at the entrance on the south end. Two of than manned a hose line and the other two opened vault doors in search of the fire. A second group was outside at the northeast side of the building breaking out explosion vents. A sudden change in the character of the smoke prompted the fire chief to immediately order his