County Hall of Administration Water Damage Put at $250,000

Sparks from an electrical cord to a copy machine ignited the fire in the Orange County Hall of Administration on Thursday night, authorities said.

There was minimal damage from the blaze, which erupted about 7 p.m. and was quickly doused by the building’s sprinkler system.

No one was injured.

But thousands of gallons of water from the sprinklers flooded the building’s fourth floor, causing an estimated $250,000 worth of damage.

“If it wasn’t for the sprinkler system, there would have been considerable damages to the building,” Santa Ana fire investigator Bob Eggleston said Friday.

“We were pretty lucky.”

Diane Thomas, the county’s public information officer, said carpets will have to be replaced and soot cleaned from the ceiling but that, overall, the damage was minor.

“It was just an inconvenience that broke up the normal workday,” she said.

“We’ll be back in business again on Monday.”