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 #:
000151
Language:
English
Subjects:
Washington National Records Center. Building A, Motion picture film collections
Collection:
Books and Government & Law
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Prelinger Library
Sponsor:
Internet Archive
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
Date Added:
July 19, 2022
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143"^ men out of the building. While the men were still inside, but retreating, a backdraft explosion occurred which blew out an explosion vent, displaced a wall across the inside corridor, and injured firefighters inside, two seriously. The fire department retreated to a safe distance and applied water from the outside. The fire progressed from vault to vault, with frequent minor explosions, as additional vaults became involved. Twenty-three of the 27 vaults burned. Approximately 12.6 million feet of film were destroyed. Inspection of Building A the day after the fire revealed that, due to the fact that the automatic sprinkler protection for the vaults had been altered, the level of protection had been reduced, thereby con^jromising the ability of the system to extinguish a fire effectively. Moreover, the waterflow alarm, installed in early 1978, was improperly connected and did not work. Investigation of the Fire On December 21, 1978, Walter Kallaur, Regional Administrator, appointed an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire. This committee was chaired by Mr. William Hart, and included representatives of the Public Buildings Service and MARS. The report of the Ad Hoc Committee stated that the "cause of the fire has not been determined", but that it was "probably linked to construction activities associated with upgrading the air conditioning systan". Specifically, the report implied that the fire might have been ignited by an open armature drill being used by the workmen. Another explanation has been advanced by the Prince George County Fire Department.