Photo: stevenmaltby / iStock / Getty Images
An investigation is underway after a fire broke out in a cell at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday (December 16), led to 11 corrections officers being hospitalized as a precaution. According to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the fire was contained to a single cell and was extinguished by staff before it could spread further.
While no inmates required external medical treatment, it remains unclear if any were treated by the prison's medical staff. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and authorities are working to determine what sparked the blaze.
This incident comes after a previous controversy at the same facility. Last year, several corrections officers were involved in the beating death of inmate Robert Brooks, which resulted in their sentencing. The prison has been under scrutiny following these events, and the recent fire adds to the facility's challenges.
The state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is leading the investigation into the fire's origin. Updates on the conditions of the hospitalized officers are still pending.