By Barbara Brown

A lingering scent of smoke hung in the air of the Chisago County Government Center Monday, four days after a leaky conduit caused an electrical fire.

According to County Administrator John Moosey, a Chisago County sergeant was on patrol around 1:30 a.m. when he received a call to report to the government center for an alarm.

The sergeant entered the building and noticed smoke in the hallway on the basement level of the building.

The sergeant left the building and waited for the Center City Fire Department to arrive.

There was no serious damage to the building, although smoke infiltrated the buildingís duct system and smoke and water damage will have to be remedied.

After investigation, Moosey said the fire was determined to have started in the mechanical room for the government center.

The building actually has two parts to it. The first, built about 25 years ago, was updated and expanded about 15 years ago, Moosey said.
He said when the new part of the building was constructed, the electrical supply was cut in the mechanical room and new electric lines were run through the building to power both sides.

The access conduits for the old electricity were plugged and remained in place.

Over the past 15 years, the sealant for the conduits seems to have eroded, slowly allowing water to seep into the mechanical room around the electrical lines. Moosey said investigators determined that water dripped onto the main circuit breaker for the government center and sparked a fire.

The government center was closed Thursday and staff were asked ìto do as much work as they could from home or other offices,î Moosey said.

The administration is working with the countyís insurance company to pay for the repairs, which have already begun, Moosey said. He added that he did not believe the electrical subcontractor who plugged the conduits would be responsible, but that it was up to the insurance company to determine that question.

The fire is the second round of major damage received by the government center building in the last few months. In December 2003, the buildingís sprinkler system turned on over the weekend, causing extensive water damage in the lower level of the building.

Since then, several conference rooms and offices had been renovated. The countyís insurance company still has not settled that claim.
The re-done conference rooms now are serving as offices for Moosey and staff and the buildingís lunch room has become one giant office.
All county offices are operating as usual, Moosey said, and no documentation or files were damaged in the fire.

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