We've become aware that KIRO is running promos for a segment you currently plan on airing Thursday evening about what you describe as a "looming fire danger in Columbia Center." Those allegations are categorically false.

Due to our high regard for you and your station, and so you have facts that may not have been previously brought to your attention, we want to provide you with a full briefing on this matter, which we are certain, will impact your story. Most importantly, you need to know that at no time has there been any potential degradation in the life safety systems at Columbia Center.

We work with Beacon Capital Partners, LLC, a Boston-based real estate investment firm. Affiliates of Beacon Capital Partners just assumed ownership of Columbia Center only two weeks ago.

Here is what we want to do. We can provide you with a copy of a report prepared by an independent fire protection engineering firm, Schirmer Engineering, which concluded that at no time has the sprinkler system in Columbia Center been adversely affected or unsafe in any way.

Based on what we have seen in the promotional spots we can only conclude that KIRO does not have accurate information or it would not be making these very serious and false allegations.

In brief, in late 2005/early 2006 the former Columbia Center property owner, Equity Office Properties (EOP), hired Schirmer Engineering to conduct an analysis of the fire protection system at the property site. Schirmer Engineering concluded that sediment had accumulated at some of the piping connections in the sprinkler system.

The conclusion in the report stated that while it was recommended that the system be reconfigured to address this issue, the current situation does not reduce the performance or reliability of the existing automatic sprinkler system. In fact, tests showed that the sedimentation completely dispersed when subjected to normal sprinkler flow. In addition, the building sprinkler contractor verified the findings in the Schirmer Engineering report.

Based on those recommendations, EOP chose to implement system reconfigurations, which consisted of eliminating all piping connections from the bottom of the cross mains and connecting only to the top of the cross mains in order to reduce the accumulation of sediment in the future.

This work is being conducted after business hours to limit the disruption to tenants and as of April 24, 2007, 75 percent of the affected piping has been reconfigured. Tenants were notified of the work in August 2006 and have been kept informed of progress ever since. The Seattle Fire Department has also been informed of the project.

It bears repeating that there has never been a point in time when the sprinkler system at Columbia Center has been unsafe.

We would like to have an open dialogue with you before you air this piece and want to schedule a call with you and the folks that have been involved with the daily activities of the fire protection systems. In addition to the phone briefing, we would like to offer you the Schirmer Engineering report mentioned above.

I will follow up with you later today to set up the phone briefing. In the meantime, if you have any questions I can be reached in reply to this e-mail or via phone.

Thank you, Aaron Blank The Fearey Group on behalf of Beacon Capital Partners