Firefighters investigated smoke at a Salem Health building this morning. (courtesy/ Kevin Smith)
Around 50 Patients in Building B at Salem Health were moved to the north side of the building as firefighters investigated smoke coming out of the building this morning, Salem Police Department said Thursday.
Multiple people called dispatch reporting smoke around 6:30 a.m. and the hospital’s sprinkler system went off, said Greg Walsh, the emergency manager for the city of Salem.
Walsh said firefighters located the origin of the smoke around the elevator on the first floor.
Salem Health spokesperson Mark Glyzewski said the hospital is trying to reach out to patients to let them know if their appointment has been cancelled. He urged patients to contact the clinic if they’re unsure.
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Walsh said as smoke moved into the upper floors of the building, nurses immediately started moving patients to the other side of the building.
Salem Fire Department firefighters were on scene for more than three hours this morning investigating the cause of the smoke and assessing damage, Walsh said.
He said when a sprinkler discharges it can cause a lot of damage and pooling in lower floors.
Glyzewski said there are fire doors throughout the building that kept the smoke from spreading to other areas.
He said the hospital is waiting for the investigation to wrap up before they can start any clean up.
“We’re assessing on how were going to be shifting things as the cleanup moves along,” Glyzewski said.
The emergency room and ambulance service were not affected by the smoke.
Have a tip? Contact reporter Saphara Harrell at 503-549-6250 or [email protected].
