# How do prisons deal with fire evacuations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prisons-deal-with-fire-evacuations/105616 "2002-04-25T19:54:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prisons-deal-with-fire-evacuations/105616/1 "2002-04-25T19:54:31Z")
After reading [this](http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/01/22/memphis/index.html) article\*, I wondered-what happens if there’s a fire or something in a prison, and the place has to be evacuated? I wouldn’t want a bunch of Charles Mansons running around loose, but I don’t think it would be, well, ethical to let them burn. So, is there a precedure? \*yes, I know it has nothing to do with my question, but I thought I’d include it in case someone asked what article I was reading ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prisons-deal-with-fire-evacuations/105616/2 "2002-04-25T21:50:30Z")
That’s probably why most prisons have big outside areas. The prisoners probably just assemble there until they can be transferred. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prisons-deal-with-fire-evacuations/105616/3 "2002-04-25T21:58:22Z")
I’m not sure how they’re handled, but I know they can be messy. I recall a prison fire in Ohio (I think it was) during the early 20th century in which over a hundred inmates died because their cells weren’t unlocked in time. ---
**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prisons-deal-with-fire-evacuations/105616/4 "2002-04-26T00:48:07Z")
Yes, there was actually a prison fire at the Ohio State Penitentiary and 500 inmates died. Spookily enough, the arena for the Columbus BlueJackets hockey team is built were the penitentiary used to be… 🙂