A female prison guard who was stabbed in the back at Silverwater jail in Sydney’s west has been taken to hospital for surgery in what has been described as a “brutal attack”.

Ambulance Inspector Kevin McSweeney said four crews, including a specialist medical team, were sent to the jail about 8am on Monday.

The guard was allegedly attacked with a pair of scissors.

“It was a brutal attack, with the patient having a significant wound to her back,” he said.

“Paramedics worked to stabilise the patient before getting her to hospital where she is expected to undergo further assessment and surgery.”

A 26-year-old prisoner has been placed in solitary confinement and police have been called in to investigate.

A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said staff at the jail have been offered counselling after the attack.

The guard was taken to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, Queensland prison guards have put out a fire that broke out in a prisoner’s cell in a jail locked down jail due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the state’s southeast.

Queensland Corrective Services say the blaze broke out at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre on Monday morning.

Prison officers put the fire out and there were no reported injuries, but five prisoners were treated for smoke inhalation.

“Officers at the centre have been praised for their professionalism and quick response and management of the incident,” QCS said in a statement to AAP.

The jail is linked to the 27-case COVID-19 cluster in the state’s southeast after two staff contracted the virus following a visit to the QCS Academy at Wacol.

The academy, where a senior trainer was diagnosed with the virus on Thursday, is at the centre of the state’s outbreak.

More than 1000 inmates at Arthur Gorrie prison have been kept in their cells for the past four days after Queensland’s chief health officer ordered a lockdown to stem the local virus outbreak.

About 6000 other inmates in jails from the central coast to southeast Queensland also remain in lockdown.

-with AAP