Fire Forces Lockdown At Suffield Prison

SUFFIELD, CT — A small fire in a prison woodshop forced an evacuation and lockdown Wednesday morning at New England’s largest correctional facility, according to state correction officials.

The fire broke out around 9 a.m. in the ventilation system of a woodshop area inside the MacDougall Building at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, officials said in a news release.

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MacDougall-Walker is a level 4/5 high- and maximum-security facility for adult males. Based on its offender population, it is the largest correctional facility in New England, according to the state Department of Correction.

Incarcerated people and staff were evacuated from the woodshop after smoke was seen and smelled coming from ductwork, according to the DOC. An emergency code was also called.

The Suffield Fire Department responded and extinguished the source of the fire, officials said. Firefighters secured the area and left the facility by 11:21 a.m.

Thirty-three incarcerated people who were working in the area were checked by medical staff, according to the DOC. No injuries were reported among staff or the incarcerated population.

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The facility was placed on lockdown during the incident, officials said. Most of the building has since returned to normal operations, except for the affected area.

An environmental contractor was contacted to make sure the area is properly cleaned, according to the DOC.

The woodshop is part of the DOC’s Correctional Enterprises of Connecticut program, which gives incarcerated people the voluntary opportunity to work and learn job skills while making custom wooden furniture.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.