Fire at Sanders’ Vermont office investigated as arson after series of vandalism incidents targeting lawmakers

Investigators are treating a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office Friday evening as arson, local authorities said.

In an updated news release Saturday afternoon, the Burlington Fire Department announced that it had “deemed this fire to be incendiary in nature” and said the investigation had been turned over to the Vermont State Police.

State police said they are looking for a male suspect believed to have used a possible accelerant to start a “significant fire” in a portion of the senator’s office, endangering staff present. According to the Burlington Fire Department, the sprinkler system extinguished the flames and no staff members were injured.

As of Saturday afternoon, authorities did not release a motive for the attack.

Friday’s fire follows a series of smaller violations — otherwise limited to stickers and spray-painting vandalism — at other lawmakers’ offices in recent months.

Multiple lawmakers who have expressed support for Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza have addressed cases of insults or vandalism in state or federal offices.

Most recently, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) represented reported to Capitol Police last Friday that “Free Palestine” stickers had been placed on posters outside his Capitol office, referring to Israeli hostages held since October 7.

Gottheimer, who has been vocal in drawing attention to Israelis held in captivity by Hamas, said it was the second time the posters had been tampered with.

Other lawmakers, such as Reps. David Valadao (R-California) and Greg Landsman (D-OH), have reported vandalism at their district offices, including a message outside Landsman’s Ohio office that read, “this Ken supports genocide,” a play on the viral “Barbie” movie. “Peaceful protests can be powerful, but vandalism and dangerous rhetoric are wrong and ineffective,” Landsman said in response.

Member of the House Armed Services rankings Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said in December that the garage door of his home in Bellevue, Washington, was spray-painted with a message supporting a ceasefire. At the time, Smith expressed support for Israel’s war in Gaza, although he recently called on Israel to “change the way they fight this war” after the bombing of a World Central Kitchen convoy on Monday, which left seven dead.