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:

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166 One, if the air-conditioning system was actually causing the building to be heated, it would mean there was something very wrong because the basic air-conditioning cycle, even in adverse situations, would normally not supply heat. No matter how low that Freon level got, I would not expect to see heat in the outlet. There is a very small pinhole orifice which the gas must pass through. Normally, it will cycle around that point, but it will not pass hot gas. That has been my experience. So, if in fact, as it says in the report, the inlet and outlet were hot, there was something very seriously wrong with the air-conditioner, or, perhaps, there was a heat pump system on the air-conditioner which was tripped on. I do not know that air-conditioning system. But if that is true — if the inlet and outlet were hot — you could be heating those vaults. That might very well have been why it progressed through 22. 23, and however many vaults it did explode in. The opening of doors was just one more thing on top of that. Mr. Kindness. There was testimony this morning to the effect that Freon was added to the air-conditioning system with some frequency in the 3 or 4 weeks preceding the fire of December 7, 1978. If that sort of frequency of recharging the system was required, it would indicate a leak of some considerable degree, of course, which suggests that the system could actually be taking in other gases from the atmosphere. Under those circumstances, is it not possible that the system could be operating with, perhaps, more ambient air than with Freon? IMr. LuczAK. It is very possible. Mr. Kindness. And thus produce a hot side on both sides of the system ? IVIr. LuczAK. That is possible. Mr. Kindness. If the air-conditioning system was malfunctioning in that way, and if a fire did start in vault 8, was there a way, due to the manner of design of the air-conditioning system, that that fire could have been conveyed from vault to vault through the air-conditioning system? Mr. LuczAK. I do not know the answer to that. I am not that familiar with the air-conditioning ducting, itself. If the system continued to blow, I would say, if it continued to operate, that there was probably a lesser chance. But stopped, then there was a place for back pressure — it had a free path of back pressure to go through the system. But I am not familiar with the ducting in that building and really could not answer that question. Mr. Kindness. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Preyi:r. Thank vou. Mr. Butler? Mr. Butler. I have no questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Preyer. Let me ask one final question as to the cause of the fire. "\^niat about a cigarette from one of the workmen that could have been left smoldering in the vault ? (^ould that have caused the fire ? Mr. LuczAK. I think it would depend on wdiere it Avas located. I would have had to know more about the state of decomposition. A tip of a cigarette burns at about 500° if it is just sitting in an ashtray; I