Jail Fire Wasn’t a Fire After All
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The fire at the Los Angeles County Jail near the Civic Center on Friday turned out not to be a fire after all, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said Saturday after inmates were returned to their cells and order was restored.
Instead, the heavy smoke that sent 56 inmates and five deputies to the jail hospital for treatment of minor smoke inhalation was simply a malfunctioning air conditioning system, said Deputy Kathryn Nielsen.
It had been reported initially that inmates had packed pillows, blankets and other material into an enclosed area and set them ablaze.
Damage to the jail was listed at $30,000, and inmates on two wings of the jail at 441 E. Bauchet St. had to be moved to other areas.
Inmates were returned to their cells by 11 a.m. Saturday, Nielsen said.
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