VENTURA : Fire Forces Evacuation of County Courthouse

A small chemical fire on the roof of the County Government Center in Ventura forced about 950 people to evacuate the county courthouse for about 30 minutes Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The fire was spotted on the Hall of Justice roof around 10 a.m. by a county employee repairing a microwave tower on the south end of the roof. The employee called for help and began dousing the flames with a fire extinguisher, while other employees sprayed it with water, said Paul Young, county facilities manager.

The fire, confined to a 6-by-6-foot area, was extinguished by the time Ventura firefighters arrived at 10:07 a.m. It caused an estimated $500 in damage to the roof, firefighters said.

Kim Smith, a spokeswoman for the Ventura City Fire Department, said the fire was caused by a reaction between an unidentified chemical and some discarded construction materials.

No one was injured, although some smoke drifted into the building’s ventilation system and reached the third and fourth floors. About 750 employees and 200 members of the public inside the Hall of Justice were asked to clear the courtrooms and hallways.

Superior Court Judge Melinda Johnson said she was about to enter her courtroom on the third floor when she heard the announcement over the building’s public address system.

No one seemed to mind the interruption from their routines.

“We were outside for up to half an hour on a gorgeous day,” Johnson said. “It was really nice.”

The County Jail and County Administration buildings were not affected.