Cigarette fire leads to evacuation of Kane Judicial Center

A discarded cigarette sparked a small fire outside the Kane County Judicial Center near St. Charles Thursday morning, filling several floors with smoke and prompting authorities to evacuate the building.

St. Charles Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Schelstreet said no injuries were reported and the building was reopened a couple hours later.

The minor fire occurred outside the main entrance after a cigarette apparently found its way into a crack in the caulk at the base of a pillar and ignited cardboard expansion joint material in the concrete base. On the pillar was a “No Smoking” sign.

“We believe it to be accidental, caused by a discarded cigarette. We have a little bit of smoke left in the building,” Schelstreet said. “(The evacuation) was very smooth. It all went according to the book.”

Attorneys and courthouse personnel said they smelled smoke on the first floor Thursday morning. The smoke also filtered into the jury room and third floor.

The facility was evacuated at about 10:45 a.m. The smell of smoke was still in the air when the facility opened at 1 p.m.