Following strong storms that knocked out power for almost a quarter of Shelby County residents on Aug. 22, a Tennessee Department of Corrections prison near Shelby Farms caught fire.
Footage of the fire posted to social media showed large flames at the Mark H. Luttrell Transition Center, a state-run prison, and TDOC said all inmates have been temporarily moved from the location.
TDOC Communications Director Dorinda Carter said in an email statement no inmates or staff were injured and the fire had been contained as of Aug. 23. Carter also said it is still unknown what started the fire.
The Mark Luttrell Transition Center opened in 1999 as one of TDOC's women's prisons. In 2016, the prison shifted its focus to rehabilitation and preparing male inmates
for reentering society as they finish their prison sentences.
TDOC did not reveal the breadth of the damage the fire caused to the facility, nor did it confirm a timeline for returning inmates to the facility.
The storms brought harsh straight-line winds between 75 and 100 miles per hour through the Mid-South. Some areas of the city saw entire trees knocked over, and small to medium-sized branches scattered many of Memphis' roadways.
At one point, Memphis Light, Gas and Water reported more than 118,000 customers were without power, impacting about a quarter of its customers, the city-owned utility said in a social media post.
MLGW predicted repairs on the city's electric grid could take several days, estimating Aug. 27 as when it would have power back to the majority of customers.
A more comprehensive update is planned for 4 p.m. on Aug. 23, when MLGW holds a press conference to discuss the repair efforts.
Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, and followed on X @LucasFinton.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Fire ravages Tennessee prison in Memphis after day of strong storms
