The emergency services were called following a fire at Forest Bank prison in Salford on Friday night.
Prison staff managed to put out the fire before firefighters arrived at the scene. No injuries have been reported.
The drama is the latest of a string of incidents at the privately-run Category B jail which houses more than 1,300 inmates.
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Three fire engines and two police vehicles were scrambled to the prison on Agecroft Road at around 5.30pm on Friday. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed firefighters were sent but the blaze had been put out by the time they arrived.
A spokesman said: "Around half past five yesterday afternoon, 16th December, firefighters were called to a small fire at HMP Forest Bank in Swinton. The fire was extinguished by staff before firefighters arrived and there were no injuries reported. Firefighters ensured the scene was safe and left the scene after around 30 minutes."
In October, the M.EN. reported how vandals damaged three cars belonging to staff. It followed a similar wrecking spree in July when another three cars were vandalised.
In May, the prisons' watchdog slammed the privately run prison - operated by Sodexo for the Ministry of Justice - which was 'unable to fill its role successfully'. Their report also noted 'an ongoing problem with mice'.
The damning report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons detailed 'cramped and overcrowded cells' in the category B jail. The watchdog's unannounced visit in February found the jail had 1,354 prisoners, nearly 300 above its baseline capacity.
The report was a major setback for the management of the prison. In January the Manchester Evening News reported Sodexo was to keep the contract for now after beefing up security and carrying out a major refurbishment.
This followed the issuing of a 45-day improvement notice by the government in August. The 'significant concerns and rectification notice' was slapped on the jail by the Ministry of Justice. The prison is operated by Sodexo Justice Services and if progress had been not made, the company could have lost the contract which is scheduled to run until 2025.
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