Marshal: Jail fire appears accidental

TIM KIMZEY/Tim.Kimzey @shj.com Spartanburg firefighters consult at the scene of the jail annex fire on Thursday.

Fire officials said Friday that a laundry room fire that occurred at Spartanburg County Jail Annex II Thursday night remains under investigation but appears to be unintentional.

City of Spartanburg Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh said in a statement that the fire originated in a clothes cart, but the fire's cause is still under investigation. He said the building at 180 E. Daniel Morgan Ave. suffered no structural damage.

The statement said the building is equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system and an automatic fire alarm system, but "due to the minor nature of the fire, the automatic fire sprinkler system did not activate."

Julazadeh said the smoldering fire was discovered by detention officers who fought the fire. He said 129 inmates were in the facility and evacuated while firefighters finished extinguishing the fire and ventilating the building.

One detention officer and two inmates were immediately transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for smoke inhalation treatment. Another 12 inmates were later taken for similar treatment, but no one was hurt.

Julazadeh said detention officers, city police and sheriff's deputies helped move the inmates. Spartanburg EMS workers assessed and transported patients, and the Drayton and Hilltop Fire Departments assisted the Spartanburg Public Safety Fire Department.

Larry Powers, director of the Spartanburg County jail, said he was impressed by the cooperative effort between the agencies