Cause of JAG probation office fire listed as electrical

Published 2:24 pm Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Fire destroyed the Judicial Alternatives of Georgia Probation Office off Roberson Mill Road in Baldwin County early May 2, local authorities say.

The office was wood-framed with stucco on the outside, according to Baldwin County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Bradley Towe, who along with the assistance of Lt. Jesse Law investigated the cause of the fire.

The office was unoccupied at the time, and there were no injuries to any firefighters who battled the hours-long fire.

More than 30 firefighters with Baldwin County Fire Rescue and Milledgeville Fire Rescue Services fought intense flames and heavy smoke for nearly three hours before bringing the fire under control, Towe said.

City firefighters doused hundreds of gallons of water onto the roof of the office building from atop a bucket attached to the city fire department’s ladder truck.

Firefighters with both departments stayed on the scene putting out hot spots until after 10 a.m.

Towe said Monday that he had determined the fire started in the building’s attic.

“It was electrical with the exact cause being undetermined,” Towe said. “This kind of fire is usually caused by loose connections or old wiring or heated breakers.”

He and Law came out of the burned building, which had served as the JAG office for about 20 years, with what he described as the front metal cover of an electrical breaker box.

“The issue started there, which led to an electrical shortage somewhere in the attic because the fire actually initially [started] in the attic,” Towe said.

Flames spread throughout the attic and eventually led to the roof collapsing onto other areas of the office building.

When firefighters arrived at the scene following an activated burglar alarm system going off, they saw flames shooting up into the still-darkened skyline shortly before 4:30 a.m.

“The building is a total loss,” Towe said.

The county fire department official said the owner of the JAG Probation Office had some electrical repairs done about two weeks before the fire.

“They had a breaker replaced as well as a light on the outside of the structure moved,” Towe said.

The owner of the building, Kenneth Knight of Dublin, along with JAG Chief Probation Officer Travis Graham later joined firefighters at the scene.

Knight said he was hopeful he could find another office soon and get back to normal handling of misdemeanor cases in Milledgeville and Baldwin County courts.

“We didn’t lose anything as far as data goes,” Knight said. “We’re all digital.”