X-URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/07/nyregion/07HUDS.html?pagewanted=print&position=bottom March 7, 2003 Building Cited for Housing Fuel Tanks Catches Fire By CHARLES V. BAGLI An electrical fire broke out in the basement of an office tower in TriBeCa yesterday, four months after building inspectors said they had discovered illegal diesel fuel tanks installed on the upper floors of the tower. .... The building is one of a half-dozen Manhattan towers that were the subjects of an investigation in November by fire and building officials. The six, known as telecom hotels, house the computers, cables and equipment of international telecommunications and Internet tenants, all of which require backup generators run by diesel fuel to keep the equipment cool. The stored fuel is potentially lethal in an accident or a terrorist attack. The New York Times is withholding the addresses of the buildings at the request of city officials, who cited their importance to international telecommunications and their potential as terrorist targets. According to the violations, inspectors found that five diesel fuel tanks and seven large diesel generators had been installed illegally on upper floors of the TriBeCa building. At the bottom of each citation, the inspector wrote: "Conform fuel storage tanks to code at once." ...... -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433