Fire at Liberty County Jail was started by light fixture, not inmates, deputies say

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A fire at the Liberty County Jail believed to have been started by a light fixture, sent several correction officers to the hospital Monday night.

The Liberty County Sheriff's Office initially said one or multiple inmates fighting may have started the fire on the west end, in the roof area, above an office of the building located at 2400 Beaumont Avenue. But in a later update, deputies said the fire originated from a ballast of a light fixture.

"Originally, it was reported that one or more inmates had started the fire and that a large fight was taking place between the inmates housed on the west end of the building. It was determined that there was no fight within the jail, that the yelling was due to inmates seeing the smoke starting to fill the hallway," the sheriff's office said in a release Tuesday.

According to Capt. David Myers, about 45 to 60 inmates were evacuated, and none were injured in the fire.

Officials said five correction officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and are all OK.

Myers said the Liberty County Fire Department extinguished, ventilated the building, and used large fans to help remove all the smoke.

"Once all the smoke was out, checked levels on the inside to make sure it was safe to move inmates back into the west end of the building," Myers said.

The sheriff's office told ABC13 that despite the amount of smoke, the fire was under control by 10 p.m.

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