FARMINGTON — A malfunctioning oil burner filled the Franklin County Jail with smoke and carbon monoxide Saturday, necessitating an evacuation while firefighters ventilated the building.
Smoke and carbon monoxide “seeped” from the boiler room throughout the jail at “elevated” but not “hazardous” levels, according to Farmington interim Fire Chief Tim Hardy.
People in the jail were evacuated to the outdoor recreation area and no one was injured as a result of the incident, Hardy said.
Firefighters worked for approximately an hour and 45 minutes, using positive pressure fans to ventilate the building and “replace the bad air with fresh air,” Hardy said.
“There are no windows or openings so we had to get it all out before we could let them reoccupy,” Hardy said on Saturday.
Administrators at the Franklin County Jail declined to comment, directing inquires to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Farmington Fire Department was called to the scene at 1:06 p.m. and clear by 2:46 p.m.
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