Burnaby Hospital’s emergency department has reopened to walk-in patients after a fire Sunday night prompted a temporary closure.
Walk-in patients who need treatment and can then return to their homes can now visit the ER, but patients who require admission will continue to be transported to neighbouring hospitals with the support of hospital transports and BC Emergency Health Services, according to a Fraser Health news release Monday evening.
The fire, which broke out in the Cascade building at about 10 p.m., impacted several areas of the hospital, according to the health authority.
No patients or staff were injured, Fraser Health said, but 18 patients had to be transferred to other hospitals because of bad air quality caused by the fire.
While the blaze didn’t damage the ER, it was shut down for most of Monday to ensure the safety of patients and staff, health officials said.
Fraser Health sent out a news release at about 8:30 p.m. saying the emergency department had reopened to walk-ins.
The health authority said it would notify the community as soon as admissions to the hospital resumed.
“At this time, we want to acknowledge our Burnaby Hospital staff, medical staff, and site leadership, as well as Health Emergency Management BC, the Burnaby Fire Department, Burnaby RCMP, and BC Emergency Health Services for their extraordinary work in responding to the fire at Burnaby Hospital,” stated a release Monday.
