Water used to put out Texas Governor’s Mansion fire causes mold problem

[Guest guest]

Wonder if they ever got all the mold from years ago? I think the fire

occurred about June 9th. Could the mold have traveled to the second floor from

the basement in that amount of time?

Water used to put out Texas Governor’s Mansion fire causes mold problem

By JOHN MORITZ

_jmoritz@..._ (mailto:jmoritz@...)

AUSTIN — Not long after the arson fire at the Governor’s Mansion was brought

under control, authorities encountered a second threat to the 152-year-old

building that’s registered as a national landmark: mold.

Braun, the construction manager overseeing the early phases of how to

restore the mansion, said the water that had collected in the basement from

efforts to save the building from the June 9 blaze became a breeding ground that

allowed mold to advance to the sections of the upper two floors that

officials hope can be salvaged.

Even though the state fire marshal’s office and agents from the U.S. Bureau

of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms still considered the burned-out hull a crime

scene early last week, Braun’s crew was allowed on the premises to start

eradicating the mold. Braun does not expect the remediation to slow the

restoration.

" It just means we’ll have to work harder, " Braun said in a briefing for

reporters to discuss the condition of the 10,000-square-foot white mansion

across

from the Capitol.

The damage

Historical architect Tere McConnell said the most severe damage was done to

the mansion’s front door, its transom and the front porch. That’s

understandable because surveillance video shows that the fire was started by

someone

hurling a Molotov cocktail onto the porch. The impact sent a ball of flame from

the porch to well past the second story.

McConnell said that because the state keeps an extensive collection of

photographs and other archives on file, she’s confident that the unique design

of

the door and transom can be replicated with historical accuracy.

The cleanup

Braun said the biggest immediate challenge is to clear the massive amount of

debris, especially from the top floor, and to brace the top of the outer

walls so the roof can be removed and replaced. The floors and outer walls

remain

reasonably sound, he said.

It’s too soon to say when crews can transition from cleaning up to rebuilding

or how much the whole project is likely to cost, Braun and others have said.

" I can safely say that we have never had this kind of challenge before, " he

said.

The investigation

Though there is video surveillance of the person setting the predawn fire,

officials have not been able to identify the arsonist. The state has posted a

$50,000 reward for information that solves the crime. Tipsters can call

1-877-434-7345.

Moritz reports from the Star-Telegram’s Austin bureau, 512-476-4294

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