1 1. INTRODUCTION

The Treasury Building fire occurred on June 26, 1996, during a construction project to install a new roof on the building. This disaster caused extensive fire, water, and smoke damage to the historic building and its collection, particularly in those areas located under the fire. This article describes the experience of the curatorial staff in managing the response to the fire and focuses on the effort required to protect cultural assets in a nonmuseum setting. During the aftermath of the fire, the challenge for the curatorial staff was the protection of the historic architecture and the museum collection during an intensive period when recovery operations were directed at returning this federal office building to operational status.