Police were called to the prison at 3.25pm, but would not confirm how the fire started, in what section of the centre it occurred or whether any inmates were involved.

The police statement said several staff members and another male were treated for smoke inhalation, with two other people relocated within the building.

The fire comes after two inmates attempted to escape from the prison last August, using an improvised flame to burn through the window frame in their cell, before kicking out the glass pane and crawling out.

While they managed to get through interior fencing, the escape was unsuccessful. The pair eventually used an intercom to tell the prison control room they wished to return to their cell.

The Alexander Maconochie Centre has capacity to hold 300 men and women.

There are no female cells and half the accommodation is in self-contained cottages for lower-security detainees.

The centre also has a 14-bed management unit for detainees at high risk of assault or for discipline or segregation, and a 10-bed crisis support unit for detainees at risk of self-harm.