Jurors' Thanksgiving celebration sparks fire, evacuation at Harris County District Courthouse

The Harris County District Courts were briefly evacuated after a small fire on one of the floors.

The fire on the 18th floor was reported shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The courthouse is located at 1201 Franklin St. in Downtown Houston. The evacuations brought a courtroom session on the 16th floor to an abrupt end.

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Harris County Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen told KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry that jurors were having an early Thanksgiving celebration, when the napkins next to chafing dishes caught fire.

The fire never got out of control, but there was a lot of smoke which led to the evacuation.