MADISON, Miss.
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Prisoners were evacuated Wednesday after a fire was reported at the Madison County Detention Center, officials said.
About 150 prisoners were moved into the jail yard Wednesday afternoon.
The Madison County Sheriffs Department requested assistance from constables, off-duty sheriffs deputies and from the Madison, Canton and Ridgeland police departments, officials said.
"We had a lot of detention officers in the jail. We were able to get the inmates out into the yard, which is our protocol," said Madison Chief Deputy Eddie Belvedresi. "We called every man we had and surrounded the fences."
Sheriff's department officials said it took about 30 minutes to contain the fire and clear the smoke from the building.
All of the inmates were accounted for and no injuries were reported, officials said.
Officials said a crew installing an air conditioner may have sparked the fire on the building's roof.
The unit was right above a laundry room in the jail. There wasn't anyone inside the room when the fire started.
Debbie Hudson was inside the jail to visit her son.
"I saw two men standing up there on the roof," she said. "There was a lot of smoke coming from the roof and side of the building."
Officials with the Canton Fire Department remained at the scene Wednesday night to watch for flare ups.
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