NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Twenty people were injured in a fire at Rikers Island Thursday afternoon after an inmate lit a fire in his cell, according to the FDNY and Department of Correction.
Sixty firefighters across 12 units responded to the blaze at the North Infirmary Command, a building that houses sick detainees, around 1:34 p.m., officials said.
Firefighters had the blaze under control by around 2:13 p.m., according to authorities.
Five prisoners and 10 staff were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, according to DOC. Another five people refused medical attention on the scene, fire officials said.
“The health and safety of those who work and live in our facilities is our main priority," the DOC's Deputy Commissioner for Public Information James Boyd told 1010 WINS. "We take arson very seriously, and will pursue re-arrest of the individual involved pending the outcome of the investigation.”
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