WASHINGTON — Thick smoke billowed from a fire Wednesday in Vice President Dick Cheney’s suite of offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House.
Cheney’s office, known for its historical furnishings and ornate decorations, was damaged by smoke and water from fire hoses, officials said. There was concern about water damage to the floor, made of mahogany, white maple and cherry and considered to be very delicate.
The adjacent office of the vice president’s political director, Amy Whitelaw, was heavily damaged by fire, said Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride.
Cheney was not in the building at the time; he was in the West Wing of the White House with President Bush.
More than 1,000 people who work in the building were evacuated as smoke filled the second, third, fourth and fifth floors. The fire broke out on the second floor about 9:15 a.m. and was under control within a half hour, District of Columbia fire department spokesman Alan Etter said.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said the blaze appeared to have started in an electrical closet or a telephone bank.
The building was reopened Wednesday afternoon, and Cheney walked through to see the damage. The set of offices contains the vice president’s ceremonial office, used for meetings and media interviews, and the offices of his staff. His primary office is across West Executive Avenue in the West Wing.
There were no reports of serious injuries, Etter said. A U.S. Marine stationed at the building smashed a fifth-floor window to escape from the smoke and had to be rescued from the ledge, he said. The man suffered a minor cut to his hand.
