AP

ALONG WITH GATHERING THE EVIDENCE THAT INDICATES the fire at the state governor’s mansion was deliberately set, Texas law enforcement officials are concerned with how the arsonist was able to get into the house in the first place.

The historic building had a fire alarm on the first floor and at least one Dept. of Public Safety officer assigned to the house on security detail.  Yet the first call to the 911 center came from a passerby who was walking past the front of the mansion and saw the fire.  During the phone call that was released by the Austin FD yesterday, the pedestrian tells that the entire front of the house was on fire and that flames were leaping from the front door to the roof.

Austin American-Statesman

Within a minute after the initial call, the dispatch center received a call from the DPS officer on the scene saying that the fire alarm was sounding.

State officials are understandably very concerned about both the breach in security allowing the fire to be set, and the delay in reporting the fire.  Despite all the security measures supposedly in place, it was somebody who happened to be walking by that first reported the fire.

The Dallas Morning News has the latest report HERE.

The Associated Press has this video report which includes a clip from the original 911 call:

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