A team of fire experts from the United States has arrived in Liberia to assist in the ongoing investigation into the December 2024 arson attack on the Capitol Building.
The experts, working alongside the Liberia National Police (LNP), began inspecting the damaged legislative chambers on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Inspector General Gregory Coleman confirmed their involvement, clarifying that the US team provides technical support and damage analysis rather than leading an independent inquiry. He emphasized that their expertise will strengthen the investigation into what authorities have already identified as deliberate arson.
The fire broke out on December 18, 2024, severely damaged the Capitol Building’s joint chambers and disrupted legislative operations. Initial findings from the LNP and the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) indicate that the blaze was intentionally set. Investigators discovered multiple points of ignition and a container holding flammable substances at the scene.
Addressing the media on January 8, 2025, Inspector General Coleman ruled out electrical faults as the cause of the fire. “At the time of the incident, the grid was still supplying electricity. This confirms that an electrical malfunction was not responsible,” he explained. The Director General of the LNFS echoed his assessment, Col. G. Warsuweh Barvoul, who confirmed that accelerants had been used to ignite the blaze.
