Fire in McMinn County Jail laundry room quickly contained

ATHENS, Tenn. (WDEF) —  A fire broke out in the laundry area of the McMinn County Jail Monday evening.

The incident began around 8:30 p.m. when an inmate doing laundry noticed a flash inside a dryer.

The flames spread underneath the machines inside the unit.

The Athens Fire Department (AFD) responded to the scene within minutes.

Crews worked to extinguish the fire at both the dryer and the roof vent, containing it with minimal damage.

No injuries were reported, and all inmates were safely returned to their units by 9:30 p.m.

Sheriff Joe Guy said the laundry area will be temporarily out of service for repairs, but jail operations remain unaffected.