JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a housing unit at the former Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City.
Jefferson City Fire Chief Matt Schofield said the fire was seen Wednesday afternoon on the top of the building. The fire was extinguished quickly.
The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports Schofield said he was not aware work was being done at the building, which was significantly damaged in the May 22 tornado.
Tours of the old prison resumed on Oct. 1, but Housing Unit 2, where a major riot occurred in 1954, is not part of those tours.
The state Office of Administration had earlier estimated it could cost more than $3 million to repair the damage from the tornado.
