NEW: Fire In Rep. Andy Biggs’ Congressional Office Leads To Evacuation

A fire sparked by a space heater in Representative Andy Biggs’ (R-AZ) congressional office led to a swift evacuation of part of the Cannon House Office Building on Tuesday morning. Smoke billowed through the second floor as staff and emergency personnel worked to contain the situation.

Rep. Biggs addressed the incident in a statement on social media, explaining that the fire originated under a desk used by one of his staffers.

“Earlier this morning, a space heater caught fire under one of my staffer’s desks. Fortunately, no one was harmed,” he wrote. “Thanks to the quick thinking of my staff and interns in the office, the flames were quickly extinguished and emergency personnel promptly arrived on scene.”

Earlier this morning, a space heater caught fire under one of my staffer’s desks. Fortunately, no one was harmed. Thanks to the quick thinking of my staff and interns in the office, the flames were quickly extinguished and emergency personnel promptly arrived on scene.

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 21, 2024

The fire triggered an evacuation of the second floor, with reports of heavy smoke prompting concern among those in nearby offices. Jake Sherman, a journalist and founder of Punchbowl News, shared updates from the scene, noting the intensity of the smoke and the rapid response by Capitol Hill emergency services.

The Cannon House Office Building, which houses numerous congressional offices, is one of the oldest on Capitol Hill. Its age has raised concerns in the past about the infrastructure’s ability to handle modern safety standards.

Second floor of cannon being evacuated due to a lot of smoke, which seemingly means a fire.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 21, 2024

No injuries were reported, and the extent of damage to the office is being assessed. This draws parallels to a previous occurrence involving Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who, in September 2023, activated a fire alarm in the same building, resulting in an evacuation. Bowman later claimed that he mistakenly believed the alarm would open a door he was attempting to exit through.

Bowman initially stated that he mistakenly believed pulling the alarm would open a door he was trying to exit through. However, after a Capitol Police investigation, he accepted a deal in which he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor crime of willfully or knowingly falsely pulling a fire alarm, paid a $1,000 fine, and wrote a letter of apology to police.

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