GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — An electrical fire broke out in the Clay County Jail early Thursday morning, causing jail staff to evacuate inmates within one of the dorms, according to a news release.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office said the fire alarm went off around 2:30 a.m. on the second floor in a pipe alley and that the fire was in a light fixture attached to a wall.
Deputies called the Clay County Fire Rescue Department and quickly put out the fire by disconnecting the power, the news release said.
Deputies used fans to clear the smoke and chemicals from the area and once the area was deemed safe, they returned the inmates to their cells. No one was hurt during the incident, CCSO said.
Sheriff Darryl Daniels explained the building, which is owned by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), is old and experienced maintenance issues over the years and is "consistently in need of repairs," the news release said.
"Those repairs require additional funding; and during the current budgetary negotiations with the BCC, these facility issues will continue to be problematic unless addressed by the BCC," the news release said. "Those repairs require additional funding; and during the current budgetary negotiations with the BCC, these facility issues will continue to be problematic unless addressed by the BCC."
