WASHINGTON — The blackened ruins of the Branch Davidian complex near Waco, Tex., were still smoldering on April 19, 1993, when federal authorities declared that David Koresh and his followers bore the entire responsibility for the inferno that killed 76 sect members and children--a position the Justice Department maintains today.
"The setting of the fire by individuals inside the compound is beyond question," Atty. Gen. Janet Reno told a law enforcement group recently.
Yet a two-month investigation by The Times involving more than 75 interviews and an examination of confidential documents shows that the government's role in--and explanation of--the deadly fire is murkier and more open to criticism than its categorical assertions suggest. Questions about the government's account of the tragic blaze are expected to receive prominent scrutiny during congressional hearings that begin Wednesday.
On the government's side, no credible evidence has come to light supporting the widely stated claims of conspiracy theorists that the FBI intentionally ignited the flames.
At the same time, serious discrepancies, misstatements and exaggerations exist in the government's version of what happened in the last days of the siege and the final assault.
For example, although official statements assert that at least three federal agents observed Davidians setting fires, no agents so far have acknowledged on the record that they saw such activities. Moreover, although the FBI assured Reno that a tear gas assault would not cause a fire, agents saturated the complex with flammable chemicals that were capable of contributing to the blaze.
The FBI also failed to call for any kind of firefighting response until after the building was engulfed in flames, even though it knew that fires were a strong possibility if the compound were stormed.
"Why didn't they take some kind of action to prevent" a fire? asked Paul C. Gray, a Houston fire official who led the arson team that investigated the blaze. "That's a very legitimate question. It certainly is a question that needs some kind of explanation."
Gray, who had close ties to the federal agency that launched the initial, aborted raid on the Davidians, wrote the arson report that supported the government's assertions. The team concluded that three separate blazes were set inside the complex within minutes of each other. But arson experts interviewed by The Times called the analysis incomplete and lacking in professional standards.
Supportive of the government's account of the tragedy as it was, the arson investigation did determine that the inferno was "enhanced" by the FBI's decision to punch numerous gaping holes in the walls of the Davidian complex.
Top Justice Department officials, led by Reno, have refused to accept any blame for the series of events that led to the deaths of 57 adults, including two pregnant women, and 19 children. The FBI declined to respond to questions submitted in writing for this article.
While the precise origin of the fire may never be known--and promises to be debated for decades, regardless of the evidence--the congressional hearings will seek to assess how the conflagration started and search for lessons that could help prevent a similar outcome in the future.
FBI Assault
The episode now so familiar to Americans that it is referred to simply as "Waco" began on the morning of Feb. 28, 1993. Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms carried out a raid at the Branch Davidians' sprawling compound. The ATF had evidence that the occupants were stockpiling arms, but, owing to careless planning, the agency lost the element of surprise and a gun battle ensued. Six Davidians and four federal agents died and 15 agents were wounded.
For 51 days, the FBI tried to negotiate the surrender of Koresh and the followers who remained inside. At last, saying they were concerned about the safety of the Davidians' children, the FBI devised a plan to force the sect members out with tear gas.
The operation began on April 19--a Monday--at 6:02 a.m. When the Davidians responded with gunfire, the FBI escalated the attack, according to the Justice Department's four-volume report on Waco. For six more hours, until about noon, agents in Army tanks flooded the residence with tear gas and rammed the wooden structure, eventually knocking down walls.
At 12:07 p.m., flames were spotted in a front, second-floor corner of the building. Moments later, a second fire broke out in the first-floor dining room, followed by a third in the ground-floor chapel. At the same time, a possible fourth fire began in the gymnasium at the rear of the building. Within four minutes, flames engulfed the entire complex.
In less than an hour, the rambling four-story structure burned to the ground as millions of stunned Americans watched on television.
