Authorities said they found fire burning in the walls of a federal penitentiary in southeast Atlanta late Sunday night.

Atlanta fire crews worked to put out the two-alarm blaze at the penitentiary on McDonough Boulevard overnight, and it was under control about 1:30 a.m. Monday, Channel 2 Action News reported. No one was injured.

Officials said the fire was discovered in the walls of two floors. Crews used a sledgehammer to break through the walls to get to the flames, Channel 2 reported.

The fire does not appear to have been intentionally set, officials told the news station. Its cause is still under investigation.

In other news:

A mother told us this was a deliberate act.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)