Chemical fire breaks out at Burke County Detention Center

Burke County EMA Emergency Management Agency Fire Rescue
Burke County EMA Emergency Management Agency Fire Rescue(Contributed)
Published: Mar. 31, 2023 at 4:09 AM EDT
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WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A small fire broke out at the Burke County Detention Center on Thursday evening, according to authorities.

According to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, around 7:10 p.m. detention center officers discovered a small fire in a bucket of cleaning cloths located in the kitchen area.

Officers quickly extinguished the fire using fire extinguishers. As a precaution, Burke EMA responded to investigate and assist. Smoke was contained in the kitchen area and no employees or inmates were affected, according to authorities.

Preliminary reports indicated the fire may have been caused by a reaction from cleaning chemicals on the stored cloths, according to authorities.

No employees or inmates were affected, and detention center operations are back to normal, authorities say.