Workers Start Fire At Blair House

Workers sprucing up the outside of Pennsylvania Avenue’s historic Blair House sent firefighters into a brief frenzy Tuesday after igniting a small section of exterior molding.

Five District of Columbia fire trucks and an ambulance responded to the afternoon call at Blair House, the government’s official guesthouse, across the street from the White House.

The fire started as workers on scaffolding were burning paint off the molding beneath a window.

“Nothing burned on the inside, just some smoke inside,” said fire chief Mike Sellitto.