Fire units from the Flagler County Fire Department and the Bunnell Fire Department responded to a call at the Flagler County jail at 2:46 p.m. today when smoke was detected in electrical outlets in a recently built office and booking addition to the jail.
It turned out to be more smoke—and more the smell of smoke—than any visible fire, Don Petito, the county’s fire chief, said. “We actually had to use a thermal image camera to find out where it was hot,” Petito said.
Kevin Byrne, a spokesman with the Flagler County Sheriff’s office, said the incident didn’t require any evacuations.
The smoke was attributed to an electrical short in a ground fault indicator unit. No one was evacuated. The smoke occurred in a new addition to the jail that does not directly impact inmates except at booking time. No one was being booked at the time of the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Last year the county approved an $894,000 addition to the jail to ease overcrowding. The addition provided four new holding cells, a shower area, new offices and the new booking area. The addition was completed last year and has been fully operational. The new section also includes record-keeping operations.
Responding fire units were reportedly briefly delayed by a passing train in Bunnell.
Ralph Belcher says
Hmmm… I smell three words. Made in China.
Causes me to wonder why I NEVER see a label on a product marked “Proudly Made in China”!!
PC Guy says
Once again, they do not include Palm Coast Fire which also responded. I guess Don forgot to mention that during the interview. Sounds like more games between the two sides.