An unidentified arsehole set fire to the US National Archives Building in Washington, DC on Thursday around 8:00PM local time. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the building suffered some damage on an outside wall and the perpetrator hasn’t been captured.
The suspect placed a petrol container on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the building before setting the container ablaze. The National Archives released security camera footage of the arsonist on YouTube, and the suspect appears to be wearing a dark jacket, dark pants and possibly a grey hood that obscured the side of their face.
“Security officers discovered the blaze and unsuccessfully attempted to put it out, but a fire department responded and was able to extinguish the flames. Facilities staff are cleaning the area today,” the National Archives said in a statement posted to its website today.
“The incident is under investigation by multiple agencies, including the NARA Office of the Inspector General,” the National Archives said in a statement.
Why would someone want to set fire to the National Archives? We don’t know for sure, but we can say with some certainty that they’re a bad person.
The building first opened in 1935 and is home to some of the US’ most important historical records. The National Archives is a vital institution for researchers around the world who are looking for everything from important presidential papers to historically significant photos.
It even houses the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights.
Anyone with information about the arsonist is encouraged to contact the NARA OIG hotline by sending a tip via the National Archives website.