On Friday, June 3rd, the Sheriff’s Department was notified of a possible gas leak in the Graham County Court House. Sirens could be heard up and down Main Street as police officers and firefighters rushed to the scene.
Fire crews and courthouse security met with Sheriff’s Department officers to pin down the location of the smell. The entire building was evacuated in case of an explosion. The road behind the courthouse was also closed, along with the road in front of it, and Main Street. It was all quite the commotion for onlookers.
Courthouse security and fire crews entered the building, and searched for the source of the gas. They believed the leak was in the elevator area. After a thorough search by the fire crews, it was determined that it was not a gas leak. Instead, the intense smell was, in fact, scorched hydraulic fluid from the elevator. The elevator was shut down until maintenance could examine it closer.
By later that afternoon, all police and fire department personnel had cleared the scene.
