NT teenager reportedly set fire to their cell in Don Dale Detention Centre, while riots reported at Alice Springs centre

A child has reportedly set fire to their own cell in Australia’s most infamous children’s prison, while in Central Australia eight teens have caused damage and climbed onto the roof.

A teenager in a high security cell has reportedly set fire to their own room in Australia’s most infamous children’s prison.

Territory Families responded to reports that a child in its care lit a fire in their own room while at Don Dale Detention Centre on Wednesday morning.

NT Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews responded to reports of a structure fire at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre around 11.45am, with the incident resolved two hours and 55 minutes after it was initially reported.

“Firefighters attended the scene and extinguished a fire in one of the rooms with no injuries reported,” a spokesman said.

He said an investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, however a Territory Families spokeswoman said it was due to a “spark from a damaged electronic device”.

She said the “small fire” did not result in any injuries or significant damage, with only “minor smoke damage”.

“Regular and adequate supervision by our dedicated Youth Justice Officers ensured the incident was identified quickly and addressed effectively to avoid any injuries or significant damage,” she said.

It is understood the incident was not currently being considered an act of self harm.

“Young people in detention often have complex needs and experiences with some experiencing dysregulated behaviours,” the Territory Families spokeswoman said.

The defunct maximum security adult prison that is has been used as Don Dale Youth Detention Centre since 2015. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

She said while the fire was considered a serious incident, staff followed operational procedures to engage with the teenagers and de-escalated the situation.

The fire was reportedly lit within the H-Block compound — the facility’s highest security wing which houses the most complex and highest risk young people.

In 2022 the Office of the Children’s Commissioner flagged an Own Initiative Investigation into the administration of H-Block, after young people were kept in a “cage like setting” under extended lockdowns which resulted in teenagers being kept in their cells for up to 23.5 hours a day.

Earlier this year teenagers, who said they were from H-Block, staged a protest on the roof of Don Dale yelling out: “We’re sick of being locked down every night”.

The fire comes just a day after eight teenagers allegedly broke out of their cells and climbed onto the roof at the Alice Springs Youth Justice Centre.

The Territory Families spokeswoman said the teenagers climbed onto the roof at “an old section” of the children's prison, where they stayed for about an hour.

Razor wire around Don Dale Youth Detention Centre is an ode to the facility former life as a maximum security prison. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“Staff at the facility followed procedures to monitor and ensure the safety of young people on the roof and within the centre and supported the young people to climb down safely,” she said.

The spokeswoman confirmed while NT Police were advised of the incident, it was managed by Youth Justice Officers.

Territory Families confirmed the incident resulted in “some damage”, but rejected it escalated to a “riot”.

“The extent of any damage is still being assessed,” the spokeswoman said.

“The matter has been referred to police however, no charges have been laid.”

This is the second incident at the centre in the past two weeks, after young people climbed on the roof and damaged the recently renovated Central Australian facility over the King’s Birthday long weekend.

Last week Territory Families chief executive Emma White responded to questions during Estimates over the unrest.

“We had a couple of incidents over the weekend where minor damage was done, “ Ms White told the parliament.

Ms White said the incident was in the recently “refurbished” facility, prompting Opposition Youth spokesman Josh Burgoyne to ask if after the $33.5m upgrades the centre was “fit for purpose” since the teenagers were able to access the roof.

Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit told Estimates that incident was still under investigation, with charges still being considered.

In April NT Police, fireys and paramedics were called to Don Dale as 14 teenagers allegedly participated in a riot over a 19-hour period, which included an overnight stand-off while on the roof of the prison.

Government data showed that week of the alleged riot the population jumped by 36 per cent, with the weekly average number of young people spiking from 31.9 to 43.6.

Ms Ah Kit told Estimates $310,000 in damage was caused during the alleged riot — just over $16,000 an hour — while 124 hours in Youth Justice Officer overtime came to the tune of $12,317.

The Minister said to date Territory Families had spent around a quarter of the total estimated damage bill, $86,796 in repairs at they prepared to exit “that site in the near future”.