Fire damages historic Martin County Courthouse

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

INEZ — Numerous fire departments responded to a fire Monday at the historic Martin County Courthouse in downtown Inez.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found fire venting from the second-floor windows on the east side of the building, according to Inez Fire & Rescue.

“Upon arrival of Engine 22, two attack lines were deployed, conducting an interior attack to the second floor,” Inez Fire & Rescue said in a post on Facebook. “Due to quick action, firefighters were able to contain the fire to the room of origin.”

Martin County Tourism said in a Facebook post that the fire was due to the HVAC system in the old finance office, adding that the large courtroom was “smoked up.”

In total, more than 40 firefighters and five apparatus from five departments responded to the fire, Inez Fire & Rescue said. No injuries were reported, and the building was uninhabited at the time of the fire.

Inez Fire & Rescue responded with Engine 22, Ladder 21 and Tanker 21, along with 25 personnel.

“We sincerely thank all the area departments that responded for their assistance on scene,” Inez Fire & Rescue said.