Portsmouth prison fire deemed 'under control'

Kiahnna Patterson and Matthew Twist

17 minutes ago

10 Kianna Patterson On Your Side

Portsmouth, Va. (WAVY) — Portsmouth fire crews are working to evacuate nearly 150 inmates from the city jail after a fire broke out in the basement.

Portsmouth Sheriff Michael Moore told 10 On Your Side's Kiahnna Patterson that deputies noticed smoke around 1:45 a.m. this morning.

Moore said inmates were moved to lower floors because smoke from the fire was coming up an elevator shaft, which has access to every floor of the prison.

“The fire broke out in the basement of a tool room. The smoke quickly rose up the elevator shaft and that was a problem because once we entered the elevator shaft, it had access to every floor, all eight floors. We started evacuating from top to bottom. For security reasons, we will move the inmates. I just can’t say where this movement will be in the time frame that it takes place,” Sheriff Moore said.

We're told no one was injured.

Investigators have not said what caused the fire.

10 On Your Side's Nick Broadway is working to gather more details and will broadcast live reports on WAVY News 10 at 6 a.m.