Monroe County, West Virginia – A fire broke out at the Monroe County Courthouse around 3:30 a.m. on January 11. The fire was extinguished, but fire and water damage occurred.
“So, we were already in the middle of a renovation when this happened. So, it has slowed us down for a few days, but we were fortunate to have an alternative building to house our offices, allowing us to keep our government open to the public,” said Richard Miller, Director of Monroe County 911 and Emergency Management.
The renovations have been delayed due to the fire.
Melvin Young, Monroe County Commission President, stated that the existing renovations will be delayed, but he does not know how long this will take. “Hopefully we can just get everything organized,” he added. “We’ve already got storage containers coming in to put stuff in, Serv Pro is here, and we’ll make it happen.”
The upstairs portion of the Monroe County Courthouse has been closed since 2017 due to mold issues that also affected the basement, forcing court proceedings to take place in Summers County.
The county received more than $5 million from the state to renovate the courtroom, but the project’s completion will be delayed. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.
On the day of the fire, a county-wide emergency was declared. Until the courthouse is repaired and deemed operational, offices will be moved to the “Old Rescue Squad Building”.
The Monroe County Clerk’s Office is updating the public on the current situation.
