Patients evacuated after hospital fire

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Flashing lights outside of Good Samaritan Hospital are a common sight but not when it's fire trucks and police cruisers.

"I didn't know what was going on at first," says Frank Kulivech.

He's visiting his grandfather who is having open heart surgery Wednesday.

He was surprised to see firefighters and police officers at the door when he walked in.

"They didn't say anything so I figured police guys wouldn't let you walk in if there's something going on," says Kulivech.

Firefighters were called to the hospital just before 6 Tuesday night for a report of smoke in the basement.

"We found that there was a transformer on fire in the mechanical room," explains Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Payne.

Because of the fire's location, more than 50 firefighters with the department were called to help.

The emergency room and part of the intensive care unit were evacuated.

"They were just evacuated to other parts of the hospital.  We didn't have to move anyone out.  They moved them and closed off the doors so the smoke wouldn't travel any farther," comments Payne.

Firefighters were able to put out the fire quickly, but the smoke was the bigger issue.

"It's in the basement, not a lot of ways to get the smoke out of there because it's liked trapped down there," says Payne.

Payne tells 2 News the hospital enacted it's emergency plan perfectly.

And Kulivech gives the hospital staff and firefighters kudos for how they handled the situation.

"If something bad was going on, they wouldn't just let you walk in.  They'd stop you," he says.

Firefighters finally cleared the scene just before 10 Tuesday evening.

No one was injured from the fire or smoke.

The patients will now be moved back into the emergency room and intensive care unit.