PICKENS — Inmates will not have to be relocated after a fire that broke out at the Pickens County jail on Tuesday morning.
“There is currently a situation at the Pickens County Law Enforcement Center that involves a fire in a contained area,” the department wrote in a Facebook post just after 9 a.m. on Jan. 30. “This fire is currently contained and is no threat to any of the inmate population. It is very early into the investigation of this incident and we will share updates. Again there is no threat to any inmate population.”
PCSO Chief Deputy Creed Hashe stated it was believed at this time the fire was due to a mechanical failure that occurred near the facility’s laundry area.
“There’s no reason to suspect foul play at this point,” he said. “We think the fire originated from the washer or dryer malfunctioning.”
Two fire departments responded to the call after an inmate trustee spotted the smoke and alerted the guards.
No injuries were reported.