Domestic Relations Office Remains Closed Until Further Notice
CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Courthouse Annex building was evacuated Tuesday morning after a fire sparked in the electrical panel of the rooftop air conditioning condensing unit.
According to Commissioners’ Chairman Tony Scotto, the fire was reported at 10:42 a.m. The commissioners were subsequently alerted of smoke coming from the top of the annex and responded to the scene.
He said that Jim Luce and Barry Angstadt, maintenance department personnel, and Adam Curry, IT director, assisted with extinguishing the fire from the roof.
Scotto said the fire spread from the roof into the ceiling of the county’s Domestic Relation’s Office. From inside DRO, Rick Redden, director, extinguished the ceiling tiles on fire.
“We had four very fast-thinking employees,” Scotto said. He added that county employees remained calm and handled the fire situation very well.
According to Angstadt, the fire was electrical in nature and started for unknown reasons. He said a new compressor was installed in the air conditioning condensing unit Tuesday morning.
Angstadt said the old compressor unit was turned on for the first time in about a week. Approximately one-and-a-half hours later, they were alerted of a problem.
DRO employees were sent home, and the office will remain closed until further notice. Other employees were permitted to return to work at 11:30 a.m. in county offices on the annex’s first and second floor.
However, Scotto said any employee who was feeling ill due to the strong smoke smell was being permitted to go home. He said the employees’ safety comes first.
Commissioner Mark B. McCracken said the insurance company was assessing the damage. He said that a damage estimate wasn’t available at this time.
