NEW ORLEANS — At 5:25 p.m. Friday, a fire began burning at a maintenance warehouse on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary — also known as Angola Prison— a spokesperson with the Louisiana Department of Safety & Corrections said.
The fire was under control at 7:17 p.m., but firefighters remained on scene, watching hotspots to prevent the fire from starting again, spokesman Ken Pastorick said.
As of Friday night, there was no reason to suspect foul play, Pastorick said. The fire did not affect the prison’s operation, nor was anyone hurt. The warehouse where the fire began was vacant for hours before the fire.
The fire was outside the prison compound but on Angola grounds, Pastorick said. The fire didn’t affect staff, residents, or inmates at the facility.
The fire was very large, Pastorick said.
The large warehouse that burned housed multiple maintenance departments, including plumbing and electrical systems, pest control, carpentry, and welding, Pastorick told WWLTV.
The prison’s volunteer firefighter team and the St. Francisville Fire Department worked to put the fire out.
The prison’s volunteer firefighter team is made up of correction officers, administrators and others who live outside the prison compound but inside the 18,000-acre area that belongs to the prison; these people live at the remote site to be there in case of emergencies like fires, uprisings and escapes, Pastorick said.
No inmates or staff had to be moved from their usual locations, Pastorick said.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office was at the prison to investigate the cause of the fire.
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