Approximately 200 people were evacuated Thursday after a fire broke out in the air conditioning system at the Salt Lake County Jail.

The fire started in an HVAC unit a contractor was working on Thursday around 10:30 a.m., according to South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison. Further details about why the HVAC system caught on fire were not available.

Inmates who were evacuated are staying in a pod and won’t be brought back into the jail until it is deemed safe, Addison said.

Several fire departments responded to fight the blaze at the jail, 3415 S. 900 West.

By 1 p.m., the fire had been fully extinguished, South Salt Lake firefighters said. The official cause of fire is under investigation.

The fire was affecting jail operations as bookings had been halted, Addison said. Jail officia

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