BLACKSHEAR, Ga. — The Pierce County Courthouse will be closed for multiple days for cleanup after lightning struck the building Monday.
According to the Pierce County Clerk of Court, Melissa Howard, the strike hit at approximately 6:30 pm. The building’s fire suppression system released fire retardant powder into the Magistrate Court, which must now be removed from all surfaces and ductwork.
Officials said that luckily, there was no fire reported.
The courthouse has been declared “unsafe for human occupancy” until professional cleanup is completed.
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The Pierce County Fire Chief and other county officials predict that all of the offices except the Magistrate Office should be cleared for use by noon on Thursday, August 14. Employees and the public will not be allowed in until then, according to the Clerk of Court.
The Magistrate Office is not expected to reopen for business until the morning of Tuesday, August 19.
During the cleanup process, each court and clerk’s office has been directed to post emergency numbers and drop boxes outside the courthouse.
“During the period when the Pierce County Courthouse is closed, the Court hereby suspends, tolls, extends, and otherwise grants relief from all deadlines or other time schedules or filing requirements imposed by otherwise applicable statutes, rules regulations, or court orders,” wrote Howard. A full list of those temporary suspensions can be read here.
Traffic citations can still be paid online on the official county website.
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