Workers evacuated the Fulton County Juvenile Court building for just over a half hour Tuesday as firefighters searched for the source of reported smoke in the Pryor Street building.

A motor in the ceiling of the building's basement overheated, causing smoke detectors to activate at 10:48 a.m., Fulton County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said.

People were allowed to re-enter about 11:20 a.m.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez