Homemade Explosive Device Sparks Texas Outside Fire

March 21--A "homemade explosive device" was used to spark a small fire outside the Fort Worth office of state Sen. Wendy Davis, the senator said in a late-night news conference Tuesday.

Davis, D-Fort Worth, was not in the office at the time of the fire, and no one was injured. A maintenance worker chased a suspect from the building at 2123 W. Seventh St. but was unable to catch him, authorities said.

Capt. Tom Crow of the Fort Worth Fire Department said firefighters responded to an automatic alarm from the building at 4:03 p.m. Tuesday. He said that the fire was relatively small and that it did not reach inside the office.

Crow said he did not have a description of the suspect and could not confirm reports that the attacker tossed a Molotov cocktail.

Members of the bomb squad were called to the scene, he said, but investigators "have not made a determination as to the cause and nature of the fire."

Anthony Spangler, Davis' communications director, said a staff member heard a large thud at the door and opened it to find flames about waist high. That staff member grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the small fire, which charred the door, Spangler said.

Another staff member "jumped over the flames that were blocking the doorway" to escape the office, Spangler said.

"We have no idea" what motivated the attack, Spangler said.

"We have an office that's open to the public all the time, and so we're always potentially vulnerable to things like this. We're thankful that no one was injured. We hope that the investigation is concluded quickly and that they identify the suspect."

Security has been stepped up at the lawmaker's office, according to reports.

"Her safety was secured immediately," Spangler said, "and we're confident that the incident was isolated to the Senate office."

The Fort Worth Fire Department has begun an arson investigation, assisted by Fort Worth police and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, fire officials said.

Spangler said the DPS involvement is routine when a Senate office is involved.

Spangler declined to comment about whether there were surveillance cameras at the office, citing security concerns.

Davis emerged last month from a bruising redistricting fight with Texas Republicans with the makeup of her District 10 intact. She still faces a tough re-election battle with state Rep. Mark Shelton of Fort Worth.

Copyright 2012 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas