TEXAS PSA AND FIRE INVESTIGATORS TURNED THE Governor’s Mansion over to the engineers and preservationists Thursday after completing their inspection of the property.  They also disclosed that they have security video images of someone lighting an object and throwing it onto the front porch. 

Texas Governor’s Office photo

Currently they are digitally enhancing the images in the hope of making the arsonist more identifiable.  The State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado says that they may be releasing the images to the public soon.

If there is any good news to be had from this incident, it is that the walls of the historic building survived the fire in good shape and will be saved.  The roof however, will have to be removed and completely replaced.  Portions of the roof are in a state of near-collapse.  The engineers are considering putting a temporary roof over the structure while restoration begins.

The Univ. of Texas Daily Texan reports:

John Volz, one of the architects planning the restoration project, said historical-preservation groups and expert architects are confident they will be able to restore the mansion, regardless of the severe smoke, water and structural damage it suffered during the fire.

“I have seen buildings in similar or worse condition, and they were fully restored,” Volz said. “It’s a great loss, but it’s not a total loss.”

Volz said every part of the house will need attention but that there is a notable amount of material and building fabric that survived the flames.

Volz said the roof structure is the most pressing issue in the restoration project but that it cannot be reparied until after the core structure is stabilized with support beams. He did not offer a timeline for the restoration process but said that the team working on the building is staying positive about the project.

The Houston Chronicle has the REPORT.

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