Small fire in Morris Courthouse attic caused by air conditioning gear; workers return to building

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A member of Morris County’s buildings and grounds department used a fire extinguisher to put out a smoky attic fire above historic court room number one in the Morris County Courthouse this morning, said David Barter, assistant fire marshal for the county.

For the second time in a month, fire trucks are called to the Morris County Courthouse. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
For the second time in a month, fire trucks are called to the Morris County Courthouse. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

There were no injuries, damage was minor, and employees were allowed back inside the building around 11 am, just over an hour after they were evacuated.

The incident was not related to last month’s electrical fire at the courthouse, David said. That event resulted in a one-day closure of the building.

This time, an HVAC motor overheated and caught fire, David said. The device has a pulley that powers a fan to draw air through ducts for cooling or warming. (HVAC is short for “heating, ventilation and air conditioning.”)

“It was just an older motor that gave out,” he said.

David Barter, Morris County assistant fire marshal, said courthouse damage was minor from an attic fire. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
David Barter, Morris County assistant fire marshal, said courthouse damage was minor from an attic fire. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

David said these units are inspected regularly. A slight odor of smoke should be gone by Wednesday, he said. “You won’t even know anything happened.”

The fire affected the oldest portion of the Federal-style building, which dates to 1827, he said.

A portion of Western Avenue was closed this morning, as were Ann and Court streets.

The Morristown Fire Department responded to the scene. Backup from the Cedar Knolls Fire Department was requested, but then canceled, said Morristown Acting Fire Chief Jon Prachthauser.

Damage from the fire was “very, very minimal,” the chief said.

Employees said they were evacuated around 9:45 a.m. when alarms went off.

“It was just like in school,” said Freya Mednick, a nurse from Whippany who was reporting for her first day of jury duty.  As part of her morning orientation, she was told what to do in the event of a fire alarm. So the routine was fresh in her mind.

“Very exciting. Not what I expected,” she said, with a grin.

Morristown firefighters emerge from Morris County Courthouse, scene of a smoky attic fire. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morristown firefighters emerge from Morris County Courthouse, scene of a smoky attic fire. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Employees return to the Morris County Courthouse on Tuesday morning after a smoky attic fire was extinguished. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Employees return to the Morris County Courthouse on Tuesday morning after a smoky attic fire was extinguished. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

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