The Saint John Regional Correctional Centre was placed under lockdown Thursday after a small fire.

Officials with the Department of Justice said the blaze broke out in one of the units earlier in the day.

A spokesperson said the Saint John Fire Department responded and quickly knocked down the flames.

“There were no injuries to staff or inmates,” Allan Dearing said in an email to our newsroom.

Dearing said the lockdown was expected to be lifted Thursday evening after a damage assessment is completed.

Officials did not provide any details about how the fire may have started.

The jail currently houses 141 inmates, according to Dearing.