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AUSTIN — Arson is suspected in a fire that swept through the historic Texas Governor’s Mansion early Sunday and left much of the 152-year-old home charred and severely damaged, the state fire marshal said.
“We have some evidence that indicates that we do have an intentionally set fire,” said state Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado. “So we believe that we may be looking at a criminal act here.”
Calling it a “devastating loss to the state of Texas,” Maldonado did not provide details on how the fire may have been set or whether authorities had identified a suspect.
Security cameras are set up around the mansion, which sits downtown on a lot the size of a city block, and investigators were interviewing people who were nearby and might have noticed suspicious activity.
“We’re going to come get the person that’s responsible for causing this damage,” Maldonado said.
About 100 firefighters responded when an alarm went off just before 2 a.m. The mansion has been unoccupied since Gov. Rick Perry and his wife, Anita, temporarily moved out last fall so the mansion could undergo a $10 million renovation. It was scheduled to be completed next year.
No injuries were reported, and there was no immediate financial estimate of the damage.
“We are heartbroken by the fire that has ravaged the Texas Governors Mansion,” Perry, who was out of the country, said in a prepared statement. “It has not only been our home for the past eight years, but has stood as a symbol of Texas pride throughout its history. Though it can certainly be rebuilt, what Texas has lost today can never be replaced.”
Small hot spots were still smoldering more than six hours after the fire began. Puffs of smoke billowed from the building.
State officials said damage to the Greek Revival-style mansion — first occupied by Gov. Elisha Marshall Pease — was extensive.

chron.com