Updated Jan. 4, 2022, 9:20 a.m. ET
By Sarah Sinning
BALTIMORE, Md. — Three inmates and one correctional officer were transported to the hospital for evaluation after inmates set multiple fires at the Maryland Reception, Diagnostic and Classification Center Sunday night. The officer remained hospitalized Monday afternoon in non-life-threatening condition, The Baltimore Sun reports.
Twenty-eight additional people were treated on scene for minor smoke inhalation.
According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which released a statement early this morning, the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to the facility at around 7:40 p.m. and was able to extinguish the blaze within minutes.
While the investigation is ongoing, fire marshalls concluded that a total of five fires were set in two areas of the facility: Inmates used paper products, clothing and a heavy-duty plastic rolling food cart to set three fires in the common area of one tier while inmates on a separate tier set two additional fires using clothing and another food cart.
The marshall’s office is working with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office to determine what charges will be filed.
In an interview with The Baltimore Sun, the union representing correctional workers at the facility said staffing shortages likely contributed to an unsafe situation.
“If you don’t have the correct amount of eyes on the situation, if you don’t have the correct amount of people doing the work, then bad things are going to happen,” said Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3. “That puts fellow inmates in danger, it puts the staff in danger and it strains the entire system.”