NSW prison guards in attack to be honoured

Two prison guards attacked by prisoners in a fire at a NSW maximum security jail will be nominated for bravery awards.

The men were set upon by two inmates at Wellington Jail when they went to fight a deliberately lit fire inside a cell.

Video of the events led NSW Minister for Corrections David Elliot to commend the guards.

"It's what I call the last line of defence. These officers are professionals. The risk they take is real," he told Seven Network on Tuesday.

"The work that you saw in the footage overnight is proof that those sorts of guys need the accolades of the community and I will be recommending them for a bravery recommendation."