Crews from Humboldt Bay Fire evacuated the courthouse this morning when an elevator motor apparently started spewing smoke into the building.
A few Sheriff’s Office deputies waiting outside said they smelled strong smoke on the first floor of the courthouse before the building was emptied.
Firefighters found the source of the smoke and were preparing to use fans and the building’s exhaust system to clear the elevator shaft around 10:45 a.m.
This article appears in Anatomy of a Fire Fight.
