Triple-digit temperatures blasted the Baltimore area on Tuesday, the third consecutive day of record-setting heat in the city, while jail detainees were “baking in their cells” without air conditioning, according to the loved one of an inmate at a correctional facility downtown.

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which runs Baltimore jails, confirmed on Wednesday that one of its facilities, the Maryland Reception, Diagnostic and Classification Center, had been partially without air conditioning since Friday after a blower motor malfunctioned on a housing unit tier.

The department said in a statement that a replacement part is “presently en route the facility and will be installed immediately upon arrival.”

The agency said that it “began transferring incarcerated individuals out of the impacted areas,” but did not specify when those transfers started, or how many incarcerated people were left without air conditioning as of Wednesday evening.

After this story published, the department followed up to say the HVAC had been repaired at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and air conditioning had since been restored to the housing unit, meaning the facility was partially without air conditioning for five days.

The Baltimore Banner first learned of the conditions on Tuesday and immediately asked the department for comment. A family member of an individual incarcerated there, who asked not to be named due to fears of retaliation, said that they feared for their loved one’s safety and that the “horrific conditions” at the facility were continuing as of Tuesday evening.

That person also reported that detainees were being kept in their cells for 23 hours per day, “essentially baking in the heat.” The corrections department declined to answer a question about the apparent lockdown.

Temperatures in the Baltimore area reached 100 degrees and the heat index jumped upwards of 110 degrees this week.

The incarcerated person’s relative also told The Banner that water continues to go out at the facility, about two months after the Banner first reported about plumbing issues creating sewage backups that led to “inhumane” conditions.

The corrections department confirmed that there was a water outage on July 10 but that “repairs were completed, and the water was restored.” In its statement, the agency said it was providing ice and cold water throughout the day and equipping housing units with fans and air handling units.

“Under these extreme conditions, the department undertakes multiple steps to mitigate the heat and ensure the health and well-being of both incarcerated individuals and staff,” the statement said.

The relative of the incarcerated individual said the fans may help air movement in the hallways outside the cells but do not provide relief for people inside them.

“They see the fan,” she said. “But they aren’t getting any relief.”