On Friday, May 3, 2002, a fire broke out at the Mitchell County jail in Bakersville, North Carolina. Bakersville is located northeast of Asheville, North Carolina, and has a population of less than 500. The jail, built in the 1950s, held 17 inmates; some were serving time for misdemeanors and others were awaiting trial on felonies. Eight inmates died of smoke inhalation. Seven were trapped on the second floor, and one was in a holding cell on the ground floor. Thirteen others — nine inmates, three jail employees, and one firefighter — were injured and hospitalized.