Small Fire in Jail Results in Evacuation of County Building

A fire caused a brief evacuation of the Effingham County Office Building Tuesday morning.

The fire occurred just before 10am in a small detention cell at the Efffingham County Jail, which is located on the first floor of the Office Building. Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said a correctional officer spotted smoke in the cell on a surveillance camera and raised an alarm. Another correctional officer entered the cell and extinguished the fire, which consisted of paper pages from a book and a plastic covered jail mattress. Even though the cell was concrete and block construction and not flammable, the confined space quickly filled with smoke and the smoke spilled into the hallway. The isolation cell where the fire occurred was in the front of the jail and isolated from the general jail population, but the smell of smoke was noticed throughout the jail area. 

Once Effingham firefighters arrived, they began ventilating the jail with power fans as county deputies and city police officers provided security by posting on any open doors.

The inmate was 23-year-old Mitchell Wayne Stevenson of Altamont. Stevenson is being held on counts of assault and disorderly conduct as well as a Fayette County warrant charging criminal damage to state-supported property. He has been in Effingham County custody since July 29. Kuhns said additional charges can be expected in the matter.

Sheriff Kuhns said, "I would like to commend the quick and decisive action of the correctional officers on duty when the incident occurred, and fast response by Effingham County deputies, the Effingham Fire Department, Effingham City Police Department, and Rural Med EMS."

Those working inside the Office Building were allowed back in shortly after the fire was found.

Sheriff Kuhns mentioned the inmates in the jail, stating, "The calm demeanor displayed by the county inmates, who even though not directly involved, could still smell the smoke and hear the fire alarms, and also assisted in getting jail operations back to normal within the hour."