Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Two Staff Injured, Two Youths Detained After Fire at Ashley Youth Detention Centre

A union blames staffing failures before the disturbance, urging urgent government action.

Overview

  • Emergency services arrived about 3:15pm and extinguished a small fire at the northern Tasmania facility, with crews remaining on site.
  • Police initially contained two youths inside the centre, later taking two young people into custody with no charges laid as of Thursday morning.
  • Children’s Minister Jo Palmer called the incident "absolutely unacceptable" and said two staff were injured, with one requiring medical treatment.
  • The Health and Community Services Union alleges short-staffing protocols were not followed and says the incident began after youths obtained keys and a kitchen fire was lit.
  • The episode followed a staff strike over safety concerns the previous day; the government cites recent recruitment and added security measures as police investigate.