JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - More than 200 government employees were sent home after a small electrical fire in a state office building.
The fire happened Tuesday in the Robert E. Lee building in downtown Jackson.
Chuck McIntosh, spokesman for the state Department of Finance and Administration, says it started because of faulty wiring attachments done by a private contractor. A Capitol police officer stopped it with a fire extinguisher.
A dozen state agencies have offices in the building, including the Department of Mental Health, the public defender, the Charter School Authorizer Board, and the Cosmetology Board. Employees are scheduled to return to work Wednesday.
The Lee building dates to 1930 and has undergone renovations.
The fire was in a heat sensing element in the building’s elevator machine room.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.