3-Alarm Fire Destroys Harris County Voting Machines

HOUSTON - A devastating fire at the Harris County Election Technology Center has destroyed all of the county's election equipment that was to be used during the November 2010 elections.

Hector DeLeon, spokesman for the Harris County Clerk's Office, says there were roughly 10,000 eSlate machines stored at the warehouse facility at an estimated cost of $3,000 each. That puts the replacement cost for the units at an estimated $30 million or more.

The fire started at approximately 4 a.m. Friday at a county warehouse on Canino Road near Downey Street.

Houston Fire Department spokesperson Patrick Trahan says someone contacted the department from a neighboring FedEx facility. Trahan says when the first fire engines arrived, one-third of the building was engulfed in flames.

It became a three-alarm fire, with about 200 firefighters trying to get it under control. More than two hours after the initial call, Trahan said it was not yet under control, but it was contained.

Another county building in the complex houses the Harris County Veterinary Services Department. Trahan says there were approximately 100 animals in the building, but they were being tended to and did not need to be removed from the building.

Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman has told DeLeon the loss of the election equipment was a dire situation, but that the county had overcome worse obstacles. DeLeon says the county plans to meet Friday to assess the situation and the county's options, but that the county was confident the elections would take place as scheduled.

DeLeon also says he would not speculate on whether the cause of the fire was accidental or intentional. Arson investigators will be left to determine the cause.

Trahan says because of the structural damage to the building, it would be possibly a few days before it would be safe for investigators to begin working.

No injuries have been reported in the three-alarm fire.

SkyFOX captured aerial images of flames and black smoke coming from the burning building.

The intersection of Canino Road and Downey Street was closed throughout the firefighting effort.

Among other purposes, training for poll workers takes place inside the building.

FOX 26 web producer Alexander Supgul contributed to this report.