DES MOINES, Wash. — An overnight fire at the SCORE jail in Des Moines forced some inmates to be moved and canceled bookings Tuesday morning.
It is not known why flames broke out on the roof of the South Correctional Entity, but scanner traffic indicated it may have had something to do with a gas line.
The inside of the jail was not damaged and no inmates had to be evacuated, but they were moved around as a result of the fire that broke out about 1 a.m.
Because there are cameras all over the campus, a camera operator spotted the fire and alerted authorities.
Jail staff said the response to the fire was very organized.
“My immediate assessment is that staff responded appropriately. Inmate safety was our top priority. We got them moved to areas that were not affected by the smoke or fire and notified fire for a response immediately,” said Jim Kelly, deputy director of SCORE jail.
SCORE was meant to house people who committed small crimes, such as first-time drunken drivers or shoplifters. But when KIRO 7 investigated the facility earlier this year, we found dangerous felons, including several sex offenders. King County Jail officials blamed SCORE for illegally expanding contracts to keep from losing money. SCORE's director told KIRO 7 some inmates ARE felons, but are not being held there on felony charges.