Arson suspected as cause of small blaze outside of Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office

Vermont police are on the hunt for a suspected arsonist believed to be the cause of what’s being referred to as a “small blaze” in front of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) office on Friday.

According to details pieced together by local authorities, an unknown male fled the scene after spraying a possible accelerant which, once ignited, led to damages but no injuries. The suspect is still at large at the time of this writing, and no known motive has been given.

“A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives,” Burlington police said in a statement obtained from AP News. “The sprinkler system then engaged and largely extinguished the fire.”

“We are grateful to the Burlington Fire and Police Departments who responded immediately today to a fire incident that took place in our office building,” said Sanders’ state director Kathryn Van Haste in a statement. “We are relieved that no one on our staff and, to our understanding, no one in the building was harmed.”

A press release issued by Capitol Police at the start of the year highlights an uptick in threat assessment cases, many of which involve “concerning statements and direct threats.” Sanders’ fire is one of many to occur in recent months.