BEDFORD, IN - Four Lawrence County jail inmates in solitary confinement were on lock-down this morning after allegedly starting a fire in their cellblock.

The small fire was quickly extinguished by jailers at the Lawrence County Security Center, and there was no damage to the facility. No one was injured during the incident.

Four local inmates allegedly started the fire using their jail uniforms, laundry bags, a library book from the jail's library and a newspaper. Those men may face charges from the incident.

Before the incident the men were in solitary confinement.

“They've had to break some kind of jail rule or break several jail rules (to be put there),” said Lawrence County Police Department Chief Deputy Mike Terry. “It's just a plain cell with a stool, sink and bed.”

The men there are normally allowed to be in a hallway and shower area with other inmates during a certain time, and that's when the fire started. “One of them possibly had a lighter, but they (jailers) couldn't find it,” Terry said.

Jailers Rick King and Jim Beavers smelled smoke while they were passing out medication and headed to Block M. They stomped out the blaze. Bedford firefighters also responded and ventilated the building.

“Anytime you have a fire (at the jail) it can be dangerous, because you're dealing with 160 inmates,” Terry said.

The four have been put on lock-down, which, among other things, means they cannot see visitors. Other inmates were not affected by the fire and were not on lock-down this morning.