Fire closes Commerce’s Hoover Building

Budget

Fire closes Commerce’s Hoover Building

A fire at the U.S. Department of Commerce has shut down the Hoover Building in D.C.. Construction workers had been doing asbestos abatement when the fire started in...

Federal News Network Staff

October 8, 2010 7:02 am

< a min read

By Amy Morris
Anchor
FederalNewsRadio

Time to put that Continuity of Operations Plan to work at the Commerce Department.

A fire at the Commerce’s Hoover building last night has forced that building to be shut down today.

That means anyone who works there is authorized to take administrative leave. You’re encouraged to telework today. “Emergency” employees still have to come in.

The fire happened just after eight last night. Fire officials believe the cause was electrical.

Construction workers had been doing asbestos abatement when the fire started in a storage room. Crews were able to quickly put out the fire and a decontamination area was set up for firefighters who may have been exposed to asbestos.

The building, located at Constitution Avenue and 14th Street Northwest, was evacuated, and the fire has been extinguished. Everyone is accounted for, and there were no reports of injuries.