Fire can happen anytime, anywhere.

County prisons are no exception.Take a look at Northumberland County this past January, when its 139-year-old wood and stone prison went up in flames, forcing the evacuation of over 200 inmates, causing millions of dollars in damage and raising the question, where will these inmates be housed until a new structure can be constructed?Because of the event hitting so close to home, Nesquehoning fire departments, prison officials and the Carbon County commissioners wanted to make sure an evacuation plan was in place at the 48,256-square-foot Carbon County Correctional Facility in Nesquehoning should there be a fire or emergency that required moving the 180-plus inmate population.This week, fire departments from Nesquehoning, Jim Thorpe and Lansford, as well as Nesquehoning Ambulance, gathered at the prison to complete tours of the 20-year-old steel and cinder block structure."In the wake of the prison fire that happened in January in Sunbury," John McArdle, fire chief of Nesquehoning Hose Company No. 1, said, "the question became 'what would we do if we had a fire here?'"We had a plan in place when the building was built but never really maintained it," he said."We needed to come up with a plan where we can safely have the building evacuated while maintaining a level of security and protect the firefighters," McArdle said. "A lot of factors go into this."Warden Timothy Fritz added that training is the best way to prepare for emergencies before they happen, and having this working relationship with the fire departments is critical."They are our number one defense against fire," he said. "It's good to get them into the facility to have a good look at what the inside looks like and helps them with preparedness."Fritz said corrections officers are trained in a variety of emergencies, including fire, riots or escapes.Volunteers went through the structure in small groups, visiting the various cell blocks maximum, medium, restricted housing unit, work release and female blocks, central booking and medical areas.The air of the inside of the jail was eerily quiet as the groups entered the blocks, inmates staring out from their cells.Fritz pointed out secured yards that would used for evacuations as the volunteers weaved through the halls, stopping only when a locked door needed to be opened by an officer.Most of the structure, if fire would occur, would be self-contained because of the type of building materials used, Fritz noted.Following the tour, officials said that they were surprised by the interior, pointing out a few areas that they thought may be places where a fire was possible.