Fifth District Court in Ronkonkoma damaged by fire

A courthouse façade caught fire Thursday in Ronkonkoma after winds swept flames onto the building from nearby burning bushes, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

The fire, at Fifth District Court on Veterans Memorial Highway, just south of the Long Island Expressway, started at about 2:40 p.m., the department's press office wrote in an email Thursday evening.

"The building was evacuated. There were no injuries. Detectives determined the fire to be non-criminal," the email said.

No cause was disclosed.

Matters handled in the building include night proceedings, small claims, civil cases, disputes between landlords and tenants in Islip Town, and town ordinances, according to the court website.

New York's Office of Court Administration, which runs the state court system, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

The fire also went inside the building’s first floor, said Gary Cisek, chief of the Lakeland Fire Department, which covers Ronkonkoma.

The chief said it took until 3:14 p.m. for the scene to be brought under control and the fire be put out. There were 40 or 50 firefighters there, he said.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.