Courtland Milloy - A Fire That Could Have Been Foretold - washingtonpost.com
The fiery destruction of Eastern Market, our long-neglected, trash-strewn, rodent-infested "local treasure," hit us when we least expected it. Sure, the 19th-century Capitol Hill structure had no sprinkler system; the electrical wiring was faulty; the opaque plexiglass windows were set in rotted wood frames. But who could have guessed that those things might constitute a fire hazard?
The District has fire inspectors. Apparently, they didn't have a clue.
Ouch. This would be a very bad day at the office.
