A small electrical fire at the Robert E. Lee Building in downtown Jackson sent employees of 12 state agencies home early on Tuesday.

The fire, sparked by faulty elevator wiring around 9 a.m., was contained to an elevator maintenance room and was quickly extinguished by officials. Employees are expected to return to the building Wednesday.

“The quick action of the Capitol Police today diverted what could have been much worse,” said Laura Jackson, executive director of the Department of Finance and Administration. “We’re thankful the occupants responded immediately and no one was hurt this morning.”

The Robert E. Lee Building, a state-owned building, was built in 1930. The fire Tuesday was caused by faulty wiring on an elevator monitoring panel. The elevator system in the building was updated in 2015, a DFA press release said, and officials do not believe the age of the building was a factor.

The 12 agencies based in the building include: the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, the Board of Registration for Foresters, Office of Capitol Post Conviction Counsel, Offices of Information Technology Services, the Charter School Authorizer Board, the Office of State Public Defender and the Board of Cosmetology.

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Editor-in-Chief Adam Ganucheau oversees Mississippi's largest newsroom. He was the lead editor of Mississippi Today's 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Backchannel" investigation, which exposed the roles of high-profile players in the state's welfare scandal. During Adam's tenure as editor, Mississippi Today has won numerous national, regional and statewide journalism prizes for its journalism. Under his leadership, the newsroom won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize and was named a finalist for a 2024 Pulitzer Prize; won two Goldsmith Prizes for Investigative Reporting; won a Collier Prize for State Government Accountability; won a Livingston Award; won a Sidney Award; and was awarded the National Press Club's highest honor for press freedom.

He previously worked as a staff reporter for Mississippi Today, AL.com, The Birmingham News, and the Clarion Ledger. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Mississippi in 2014.