Smoke in Air Duct Forces Evacuation

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Corrections maintenance workers can learn a valuable lesson from what happened at Rock County Jail: keep fire away from dust buildup.

Maintenance workers planned to clean the air ducts in a maximum-security area of the jail. To access the ducts, they needed to open a grate, but the bolt had been painted over. So, they used a torch to burn off the built-up paint.

Bad move. The flame ignited the layer of dust, creating a smoky haze that forced jail staff to evacuate about 80 inmates.

The staff left emergency fire doors open to air the smoke out of the building. Because the building was unsecured, patrol deputies were called in to form a security perimeter around the jail to make sure no inmates made a break for it.

Prisoners were returned to their cells about two hours after the incident.