A routine load of laundry turned tense at the Fulton County Jail on Monday evening when a dryer caught fire in the first-floor laundry room, briefly filling part of the Rice Street complex with smoke. Fire crews knocked down the small blaze quickly, and authorities reported no injuries or people trapped. Investigators stayed on scene to figure out what went wrong.
Atlanta News First reported that Atlanta Fire Rescue crews responded to the jail, contained the dryer fire, and confirmed that no one was hurt or trapped. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said housing units were not affected and reiterated that the cause remains under investigation, according to Atlanta News First.
Where it happened
The Rice Street facility is Fulton County’s main detention complex on Atlanta’s north side. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office lists the Rice Street site as its central jail on the county website, which includes contact details for the facility and its Rice Street address, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.
Recent fires and federal oversight
This is not the first fire to hit the Rice Street complex in recent months. A December blaze that investigators say was started by an inmate sent multiple detainees and staff to the hospital, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta. Those incidents have unfolded against a backdrop of federal findings of unconstitutional conditions at the jail and a consent decree designed to force improvements, according to Axios.
What officials say will happen next
Officials say the cause of Monday’s dryer fire remains under investigation and that more information will be released as it becomes available. For now, the sheriff’s office and Atlanta Fire Rescue say routine operations at the Rice Street jail are continuing while investigators review the scene, according to Atlanta News First.
