A fire broke out in Liberty County Jail that forced inmates to be evacuated from part of the facility.
According to Captain David Meyers with Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the fire started at around 9:20 p.m. Monday night.
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The cause? A faulty light fixture. Fire Marshal Nathan Green and Fire Marshal Laci Pierse confirmed that the fire started with the ballast of a light fixture inside the office.
Initial reports suggested the fire may have been started by inmates during a fight. That turned out not to be true. Investigators said the yelling heard from inside the jail was actually inmates reacting to the smoke, not to any sort of altercation.
Authorities say thick smoke was already filling part of the jail when they arrived, prompting a fast evacuation of between 30 and 50 inmates from the affected dorms.
Working alongside correctional officers, deputies were able to safely move all inmates from the smoky west side of the building to the east side. Meanwhile, the City of Liberty Fire Department acted quickly to get the fire under control.
According to Liberty Fire Chief Hurst, the flames were contained to just one office.
Five correctional officers were taken to the Liberty/Dayton Emergency Room for smoke inhalation. Thankfully, all were treated and released.
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