A fire at a Charleston parking garage, located next to the Kanawha County Judicial Annex, on Wednesday afternoon, closed a stretch of Goshorn Street between Virginia and Quarrier for about 30 minutes.
The fire likely started after someone pushed a burning cigarette into a line of caulk outside the building, said Steve Neddo, the county facilities director.
Neddo called for help shortly after noon, when he heard smoke had entered an elevator. Up to 10 minutes passed before he discovered the source.
"We couldn't tell where the smoke was coming from, and about that time we looked through the window and we saw flames shooting out of the side there," he said.
Firefighters soon extinguished the flames, which erupted on a wall just outside the enclosed area where an elevator and stairs are located.
The area is lined with five "no smoking" signs that hang within 15 feet of each other.
Reach Giuseppe Sabella at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or @Gsabella on Twitter.