LONOKE -- Custodians arriving at the Lonoke County Courthouse early Friday noticed smoke and quickly notified authorities -- a move that likely saved the historic building from a more serious fire.
County Judge Doug Erwin said the blaze was contained to one room in the second-story clerk's office, where a window air-conditioning unit had caught fire. The room suffered "a lot of smoke damage" but nothing was destroyed, Erwin said.
"There was no [foul-play] intent," Erwin said. "The air conditioner just shorted out."
Erwin said authorities think the fire started about 6:35 a.m. and that the custodians would have begun arriving by 7 a.m. or shortly thereafter.
Clerk's offices keep a wide range of records, from marriage certificates to property transactions.
Erwin said the room housed records, the oldest of which are historic.
Fire Chief Justin Whittenburg said some records may have suffered smoke damage.
The clerk's office and other offices in the building were open for business Friday.
The four-story brick courthouse, with a full basement, was built in 1928 with the county jail on the top floor. The jail has since moved to another site. In 1982, the courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
State Desk on 02/11/2017