A fire set inside the Rice Street Jail sent inmates and staff to the hospital Friday evening and forced the evacuation of an entire floor, officials said.
What’s Happening: An inmate resident started a fire around 5:15 p.m. in a shower on the bottom tier of a housing zone on the seventh floor of the jail’s north tower, according to preliminary information from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
- The inmate gathered plastic trash bags and a plastic bag containing Styrofoam food trays, placed them in the shower, and set them on fire.
- The fire caused thick smoke and visible flames inside the housing area.
Emergency Response: Atlanta Fire Rescue Department firefighters responded, located the fire, and extinguished it. Fire investigators are now conducting an active investigation.
Who Was Affected: Sixteen inmate residents were in the zone where the fire started. All inmate residents on the seventh floor — a total of 118 — were moved to the south tower.
Injuries: Five inmate residents, including the one accused of starting the fire, and four staff members were taken to the hospital with injuries related to smoke inhalation.
How It Happened: The Georgia Sun reached out to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to find out how the inmate was able to set a fire inside the jail, however sheriff’s office officials will not comment on that, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Fulton County Jail is funded by taxpayer dollars. The current budget for the jail is $73.9 million per year.
