HOSPITAL FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1939, Page 5

HOSPITAL FIRE

TWO HUNDRED PATIENTS EVACUATED NURSES PERFORM HEROIC WORK. SOUTHLAND INSTITUTION BADLY DAMAGED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, August 1. With no sign of panic more than 200 patients were evacuated from the Southland Hospital at Kew early this morning, when fire broke out on the upper floor, about in the middle of the building, and spread both ways. No one was injured, but the damage is estimated at many thousands of pounds. The nurses performed heroic work during the fire in getting the patients out of the main building in remarkably short time, and they followed this up by removing practically all the beds, bedding, lockers and belongings of the patients before they were damaged by water. The confident opinion that the inmates of the institutions would not suffer any ill-effects from the day’s experiences was expressed by the hospital authorities tonight. Throughout the length of the main corridor the roof was badly damaged. Only slight damage was done at the wings. Much of the framework of the roof was completely burnt, and the ceilings of about six wards, each containing two or throe beds, fell in. In one ward it was not possible for the nurses to do more than rescue the patients. and the bedding and other contents were damaged by fire as well as water. One of the most serious aspects of the fire was the damage done to the operating theatre.. The fire broke through the roof and ceiling above the corridor of the theatre. Damage, mainly from smoke and water, was done to the sterilisers and valuable instruments were also affected. The cause of the fire was not ascertained. but from the fact that it originated in the attic it was thought that it might have started in the electric wiring or in the radio installation, the receiving unit for the whole hospital being located in the room.