Ashland Daily Tidings :: 6-alarm fire damages office building containing military spy unit :: October 21, 2006

Ashland Daily Tidings (Ashland, OR — Wayback)

2006-10-21

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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Past Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview October 21, 2006 6-alarm fire damages office building containing military spy unit By BRIAN WITTE Associated Press Writer FORT MEADE, Md. — A fire at the Army base that houses the National Security Agency heavily damaged a building containing "sensitive" materials Friday afternoon, base officials said. There were no serious injuries, officials at Fort Meade said. The six-alarm fire at Fort Meade started shortly before 4 p.m. in a building whose contents are "sensitive in nature," said Fort Meade spokeswoman Jennifer Downing. The building contains the 902nd Military Intelligence Group Command, the Army's largest counter-espionage unit, according to the group's Web site. Lt. Col. James Peterson, director of emergency services at Fort Meade, would not say what kind of work was going on inside Building 4554. Strong winds hampered efforts to contain the blaze at the three-story brick building, which was evacuated. Part of the roof collapsed onto a lower floor before the fire was contained. "We don't really know the cause. We just know it started on the roof of the structure," Peterson said. Minor construction was under way in the area of the roof where the fire started, Peterson said. There was no damage estimate. The Army base, between Baltimore and Washington, has about 39,000 employees. Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.