Category Archives: Hospital/Medical Clinic

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Park Ridge, IL – Fire in hospital mechanical room extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported ***
On May 15, 2017 at 12:31 p.m., the Park Ridge Fire Department was dispatched to 1775 W. Dempster Street, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (ALGH), for an activated fire alarm. Upon arrival, the Incident Commander was notified by ALGH staff of a reported fire in the basement of the Surgery Building. The Incident Commander upgraded the fire response to a Code 4, which calls for additional resources to be dispatched to the scene. PRFD crews arrived on the scene within four (4) minutes and determined there was a possible fire in the mechanical room located in the lower level. Maintenance staff had gone to investigate the alarm and saw that the room was full of smoke. At that point, they correctly closed the door to limit the spread of smoke and fire and awaited arrival of the Fire Department.  When PRFD crews entered the mechanical room, they saw water flowing from the sprinkler system and the room was charged with smoke. The sprinkler system had extinguished the fire and kept it limited to the room of origin. Crews checked for fire extension in the area and ventilated the smoke out of the building.  No injuries were reported to any ALGH staff, hospital patients, visitors, or fire personnel and all affected areas of the hospital were evacuated safely. Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was electrical in origin. There is no estimate of damage at this point.

Mutual aid to Park Ridge was received from the following fire departments: Morton Grove, Glenview, Des Plaines, Skokie, and North Maine. Engine and ambulance companies from the Norwood Park, Elk Grove, Rosemont and Wheeling Fire Departments responded to staff the Park Ridge fire stations during this incident to ensure quick response to any other emergency calls while PRFD crews were committed. They responded to one emergency medical call while PRFD crews remained at the ALGH fire. Most of the out of town mutual aid companies were returned by Park Ridge within 45 minutes of the initial alarm to ALGH.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Cleveland, OH – Sprinkler system assists medical center personnel in controlling early morning arson fire

Quick response by personnel at Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland is being credited with dousing a fire set in the emergency department there early Thursday morning.

Cleveland Fire Department Fire Marshal Ben Atchley said the incident occurred just after 3 a.m. Thursday, when a person at the emergency area of the hospital who was there for a psychological evaluation apparently used a lighter to set his stretcher and clothing atop the stretcher on fire. The 62-year-old male had hidden the lighter, and it was undetected when he was being evaluated, Atchley explained.

“When the fire occurred, the sprinkler system went off, the alarm at the hospital went off and the emergency area was evacuated,” the fire marshal explained. “The emergency area was inundated with water and they closed that area, but the emergency department remained in service.”

The fire department responded, and while personnel at the medical facility put the fire out with a portable fire extinguisher, there was still smoke in that area. Fans were set up by the CFD to remove the smoke. No injuries occurred in the fire, and the man remained in psychiatric care. “I have a warrant for him for aggravated arson once he is released from that care, but do not feel comfortable identifying him until that time,” Atchley said.

Atchley said the quick response by security and hospital personnel prevented the fire from becoming a bigger emergency. “They did a great job, and just clicked into another gear,” the fire marshal said. “We responded to the alarm, but found that they had put the fire out, though we were still there to help with removing the smoke from the area.”

He noted that the hospital had continuous training and drills to respond to such incidents. Stephanie Austin, assistant administrator and marketing at Tennova, said she is proud of the work done by staff at the hospital, and appreciates the response from the Cleveland Fire Department.

“No patients were injured,” she confirmed. “There is no fire damage to the area but water damage from the sprinkler system requires some rooms be closed for a short time to be repaired. “We are focused on ensuring the care of our patients is not interrupted, and thank the fire department and our staff for their fast response,” Austin stated.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Rochester, NY – Electrical panel fire at hospital contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters say a major short in a power box is responsible for sparking a fire at Monroe Community Hospital early New Year’s Day.  Firefighters say an electric panel on the fourth floor caught fire around 2:30 a.m.   Crews got in quickly extinguished the fire.  The sprinkler system caused some water damage, but contained the fire was contained to the utility room.  Firefighters say no one occupies the section of the building where the fire started, however there was a power outage to part of the building.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Elkin, NC – Hospital fire caused by portable fan contained by fire suppression system

Many times when firefighters respond to fire alarm calls, they turn out to be false alarms, but that wasn’t the case Monday night as Elkin fire officials arrived on the scene of such a call at Hugh
Chatham Memorial Hospital. One needs no further evidence in recognizing the effectiveness of fire protection systems than what
Elkin firefighters found upon responding to the fire alarm activation at the hospital Monday.  Responders and hospital employees learned that the fixed extinguishing system in the hospital’s server room had extinguished a fire caused by the failure of a portable electric fan.

The Elkin Fire Department was dispatched to the hospital at about 6:02 p.m., with the first fire engine arriving seven minutes thereafter. Firefighters and hospital staff quickly realized the fire alarm was not a false report, and upon investigating found the remnants of the now-melted fan in the otherwise
unaffected facility.

“The hospital can be thankful that their fire alarm and suppression systems worked exactly as intended, prohibiting further damage and ensuring the safety of both staff and occupants,” noted Elkin
Fire Chief Mike Morton. Fire and building codes require that these systems are designed to meet the specific needs of the building and its contents, and periodic maintenance and inspection of these important safety systems also is required to keep them ready in case the worst should occur, according to fire officials.

Morton also pointed out the dangers of specialized fire extinguishing systems are often significant as well. “Rooms like the one where this fire occurred are protected not with typical sprinkler systems that utilize water, but rather with extinguishing agents that displace the oxygen inside the room, smothering the fire,” the fire chief explained. It was thus important for firefighters and hospital staff to work together in returning a sufficient supply of oxygen to the affected area so it would be safe to occupy once more. Firefighters from Arlington Fire and Rescue also assisted in response to the incident as part of the mutual aid agreement between the two organizations.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Richmond Hill, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system controls overnight fire at medical sleep clinic

A dozen patients at a Richmond Hill sleep clinic got a rude awakening early Tuesday morning when a small fire roused them from their beds.

Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services responded to the fire in the Oak Ridges Medical Centre at 13291 Yonge St. at 2:43 a.m. Tuesday.

On arrival crews encountered smoke coming from the restaurant in the rear of the building.

Firefighters helped remove 12 people from the stairwell and sleep clinic area, according to Richmond Hill’s fire chief Steve Kraft.

The flames were partially extinguished by the sprinkler system and fire crews extinguished the remaining fire.

“There were no injuries. It was a small fire that was kept in control with the sprinkler system of the building. Our crews arrived and they assisted getting some people out that were at the sleep clinic,” Richmond Hill deputy chief Bryan Burbidge said.

“We got the people out first and then went back in to finish extinguishing the fire and then remove the smoke.”

The patients were fine during the ordeal, despite the early wake-up call, Burbidge said.

“They were fine, other than lack of sleep,” he said.

While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it is not considered suspicious, Burbidge said.

Twenty firefighters, the chief officer and York Regional Police and paramedics worked to resolve the incident.

The medical building was expected to be fully operational this morning with the exception of the cafeteria.

Oak Ridges is in northern Richmond Hill, just south of Aurora.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Bend, OR – No injuries as single sprinkler keeps mechanical fire in check at hospital

A fire broke out in a washer for surgical instruments at St. Charles Bend early Wednesday, causing about $200,000 damage, but a fire sprinkler kept the damage from being far more severe, officials said.

The blaze prompted closure of some areas of the hospital for a time, as well as the cancellation of all elective surgeries for the day.

Shortly before 6 a.m., Bend fire crews responded to the reported fire at the hospital on Northeast Neff Road, said Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering. They arrived to find light smoke coming from the lower level of the facility.

A machine used to clean surgical tools caught fire, said hospital spokeswoman Lisa Goodman.

A single sprinkler head activated in the area and held the fire in check until crews arrived, Kettering said. There was some smoke and water damage to the lower level of the facility, and fire crews helped clear remaining smoke from the building.

Investigators determined a heating element within the unit had overheated and failed, causing the fire, Kettering said.

As with any alarm at the hospital, numerous Bend firefighters responded to the scene, clearing the area of smoke and water by about 6:40 a.m. No one was injured, Goodman said.

As a result of the fire in the hospital’s central processing area, elective surgeries were canceled for the day, with only emergency procedures to be performed.

The hospital’s lower-level floor, including the in-patient pharmacy, was closed for a time but had reopened by 7:30 a.m. Goodman said the hospital had resumed normal operations and that all scheduled caregivers should report to work as usual.

Kettering said the fire was a clear example of the value of fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems,” which helped to isolate the fire area and quickly move to protect staff and patients. The sprinkler system minimized damage and will allow operations to resume in a timely manner.

“Without a properly maintained and operational fire sprinkler system, the damage from today’s fire would have undoubtedly been far more severe,” Kettering wrote in a news release.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Bend, OR – Early morning fire at hospital held in check by sprinkler system

A fire broke out in a washer for surgical instruments at St. Charles Bend early Wednesday, but a fire sprinkler kept the damage from being far more severe, officials said.  The blaze prompted closure of some areas of the hospital for a time, as well as the cancellation of all elective surgeries for the day.

Shortly before 6 a.m., Bend fire crews responded to the reported fire at the hospital on Northeast Neff Road, said Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering. They arrived to find light smoke coming from the lower level of the facility.  A machine used to clean surgical tools caught fire, said hospital spokeswoman Lisa Goodman.

A single sprinkler head activated in the area and held the fire in check until crews arrived, Kettering said. There was some smoke and water damage to the lower level of the facility, and fire crews helped clear remaining smoke from the building.  Investigators determined a heating element within the unit had overheated and failed, causing the fire, Kettering said.

As with any alarm at the hospital, numerous Bend firefighters responded to the scene, clearing the area of smoke and water by about 6:40 a.m. No one was injured, Goodman said.  As a result of the fire in the hospital’s central processing area, elective surgeries were canceled for the day, with only emergency procedures to be performed.

The hospital’s lower-level floor, including the in-patient pharmacy, was closed for a time but had reopened by 7:30 a.m. Goodman said the hospital had resumed normal operations and that all scheduled caregivers should report to work as usual.

Kettering said the fire was a clear example of the value of fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems,” which helped to isolate the fire area and quickly move to protect staff and patients. The sprinkler system minimized damage and will allow operations to resume in a timely manner.

“Without a properly maintained and operational fire sprinkler system, the damage from today’s fire would have undoubtedly been far more severe,” Kettering wrote in a news release.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Orlando, FL – Sprinklers activate to help stop fire at Lake Nona VA Medical Center; No injuries

A fire struck the fourth floor of a domiciliary at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake Nona Wednesday, according to the Orlando Fire Department, and residents are likely to be moved from the center to another yet-to-be opened facility at Lake Baldwin.

Just before 11:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the residential facility at 13800 Veterans Way, according to the fire department. It is on the same campus as the newly opened VA hospital center, but is in a separate building.

Fire sprinkler alarms were activated in the fire that struck the patient intake processing area of the facility, VA medical center spokesman Mike Strickler and the OFD said.

Once firefighters arrived on the scene, they extinguished the flames by 11:40 a.m., according to the OFD. There were no injuries reported in the fire, Strickler said.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Spencer, IA – Laundry room fire at hospital contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

No patients or staff had to be removed from Spencer Hospital Saturday when the Spencer Fire Department responded to an early morning fire at the local medical facility. At 6:08 a.m., Spencer Fire and Rescue personnel were dispatched to Spencer Municipal Hospital following the report of a fire in the laundry room.

While responding, firefighters were notified that the fire had been put out in the area when the sprinkler heads in the room were activated. There was still smoke in the area and Spencer fire crews were on site for approximately one hour working with Spencer Hospital staff and Spencer Police.

The fire originated in the laundry area but the cause remains undetermined at this time. There was flame damage to the laundry room with some smoke entering the hallway and stairwell adjacent to the third floor. Fans were used to remove the smoke.

No injuries were reported. The sprinkler system contained the fire and the smoke was contained by the closure of fire doors through the activation of the fire alarm system.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Modesto, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes suspicious overnight fire at Planned Parenthood

The Modesto fire and police departments are investigating a suspicious, but apparently small, fire at the Planned Parenthood Modesto Health Center on McHenry Avenue early Wednesday.

Signs on the doors of the center said it would be closed Wednesday, and a spokeswoman said staff members are assessing fire damage and working to reopen as soon as possible.

At about 3:25 a.m., one fire engine was dispatched to a water-flow alarm sounding at the 1431 McHenry Ave. center, said Battalion Chief Jesse Nicasio of Modesto Fire. When additional reports came in from passers-by of flames and smoke coming from the building, the call was upgraded to a commercial working structure fire and additional resources were sent, Nicasio said.

“Engine 5 found a broken glass door, the fire alarm sounding and fire sprinkler activation,” he said. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire, but crews ensured it was out, Nicasio said.

Information was not immediately available as to where in the two-story building the fire started or what damage was done.