Arson attack suspected at Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office

A suspect is on the run after a small blaze caused minor damages but no injuries at the Vermont office of Independent Senator Bernie Sanders.

Vermont State Police has found that the fire was caused by arson.

The fire is thought to have been started outside the office in Burlington on Friday. Authorities have said that a man sprayed would they said was a possible accelerant on the door of the office and set it ablaze before fleeing the scene. They added that the suspect has not been detained and no motive has yet been established.

“A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives,” Burlington police said in a statement. “The sprinkler system then engaged and largely extinguished the fire.”

Mr Sanders was not at the office at the time of the incident.

Earlier on Friday, the Burlington Fire Department said it had responded to a morning call, finding a fire between the vestibule, the elevator, and the entrance door to Mr Sanders’s office on the third floor of the building.

Burlington Police released an image of the suspect, wearing an orange beanie, white sneakers, a black jacket, and dark pants.

Police are seeking to identify a suspect who allegedly set Sen Bernie Sanders’s Vermont office on fire (Burlington Police Department)

The door was moderately damaged, and large parts of the building suffered water damage. Both the offices of Mr Sanders and other offices nearby were evacuated.

Firefighters were called to the scene at about 10.45am on Friday. The building’s sprinkler system had put out most of the fire by the time of their arrival.

Bernie Sanders was not at the office at the time of the fire (Getty Images)

“We are grateful to the Burlington Fire and Police Departments who responded immediately today to a fire incident that took place in our office building,” Vermont State Director for Mr Sanders Kathryn Van Haste said in a statement, according to The New York Times.

“We are relieved that no one on our staff and, to our understanding, no one in the building was harmed,” she added, according to local Vermont outlet Seven Days. “Thank you as well to the Vermont State Police for their assistance and the efforts of the US Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms, who are working in coordination with local first responders.”

Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement that she’s “grateful for the quick action of the Burlington Fire and Police Departments in responding to the fire at One Church Street”.

“My office continues to be in close communication with both departments as the investigation is carried out,” she added.

The brick building, valued at about $5.9m, was constructed in the late 1890s and previously served as a Masonic Temple, the local outlet noted. It’s listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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