On 19 February in the morning, a major fire broke out in the Misrata Courts Complex located on Beirut Street. The fire broke out near the Deputy Attorney General’s office.
Early in the afternoon, the Misrata Municipality said that the fire had been contained and that the situation was under control. The fire destroyed a large part of the court building. The Misrata Medical Centre received nine injuries, including two critical cases that required admission to intensive care. It declared a state of emergency to handle potential additional cases.
Many rumours spread about the cause of the fire. In a first statement, Misrata Security Director Ali Muhammed al-Darrat said that the probable cause of the fire at the Misrata Courts Complex was an electrical short circuit and that detailed investigations by a team of experts specialized in fires and crime scenes are underway. Al-Darrat emphasized that what had been circulated about an explosion was incorrect. In the evening, the Misrata Municipality said that the number of injured people had risen to 23, including two serious injuries.
On 20 February, the Central Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department reported that initial evidence of the fire indicated that it was caused by throwing a flammable object (probably cigarette butts) on flammable waste near the building which led to the burning of nearby electrical wires adjacent to the complex. The ensuing fire caused partial damage to the building’s components within hours.