A fire broke out in a Rikers Island solitary confinement unit Thursday, injuring 20 people, including 15 staffers for the Corrections Department and three incarcerated individuals. Officials told The New York Daily News an incarcerated person sparked the fire around 1:30 p.m., and that he was seriously injured as a result. Marvens Thomas, another incarcerated person, also suffered severe burns, New York Daily News reports. Most other injuries were a result of smoke inhalation. The blaze happened while corrections officers were searching for contraband throughout the jail and state legislators were on the grounds for a surprise visit.
