SUNBURY -- The entrance at the Northumberland County Prison is not badly damaged, but there are reminders of the fire last week almost everywhere you look.
One of the only things that remained untouched is a mural, painted by prisoners.
Full-time employees were back at the prison Tuesday, gathering the inmates' property.
"Even the wet stuff, they're going to get everything back," Lieutenant Jim Smink said,
Smink says the employees will be at the prison all week gathering the inmates' belongings. Despite the damage the fire caused, Smink is thankful. The fire happened during the time employees changed shifts for the day.
"We had first shift and second shift here, double the officers. 15 more minutes and first shift would've been gone. Second shift would've been here with nine, ten officers and they would've had to do the evacuation by themselves," Smink said.
Kevin Heim is a correctional officer who was working day shift, and about to go home when the fire started. He and the other employees jumped into action.
"I yelled to the lieutenant to get them all out and said there was a fire in the ceilings. I had everyone unlock cells and made sure everyone was out. It was three to five minutes everyone was out of the left wing," Heim said.
"It was pretty hectic. I mean, it was just chaos," Paul Hassinger said.
Hassinger works second shift and had just gotten there.
"We were in briefing for about five minutes and then it caught on fire and we all went running back and evacuated everybody," Hassinger said.
Some of the full-time employees tell Newswatch 16 they're nervous about the future of their jobs.
"I'm not sure what's going to happen. We'll find out soon, hopefully," Hassinger said.
A state police fire marshal was at the Northumberland County Prison again, and so far has been unable to determine what started the fire.
