A fire truck leaving SMMC after responding to a fire early Saturday morning. The small electrical fire was contained with no injuries.
CAY HILL--Firefighters were roused from their barracks around 5:00am Saturday to respond to a fire at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). By the time firefighters arrived, the small electrical fire, which started in a public restroom in the Obstetrics-Gynecology (OB/GYN) Department, had already been extinguished due to the swift actions taken by SMMC staff.
An exhaust fan in the restroom caught fire and caused smoke to envelop the corridor and its immediate surroundings. However, quick-thinking SMMC staff members used fire extinguishers on site to snuff out the small blaze.
When the St. Maarten Fire Department arrived, the fire had already been contained. Firefighters then inspected the affected areas and left after confirming that there was no threat of re-ignition.
SMMC Head of Maintenance and Facilities Michael Sargeant also performed a check of the hospital’s electrical circuitry and declared it safe, said SMMC on Saturday.
A patient who suffers from asthma was treated for minor symptoms related to smoke inhalation. No one else was injured as a result of the fire.
The smoke affected rooms eight and nine, which were evacuated during the incident. The rooms will remain unoccupied until cleaning can take place and they are given the all-clear after a full inspection.
“We are grateful for the swift action taken by our staff members to extinguish the fire, and that no staff or patients were hurt in the process. All necessary checks have been performed by both the Fire Department and our own Facilities Department to ensure no recurrence can take place,” said SMMC Medical Director Dr. Felix Holiday on Saturday.
The current SMMC building is set for demolition sometime in the future to make way for a long-awaited new hospital.
The aftermath of the small electrical fire at SMMC.
