Mercy Hospital Cassville (Mo.) has temporarily closed after its roof caught fire Feb. 22, prompting the evacuation of all patients, according to local news station KTTS.
The fire ignited in a rooftop HVAC unit around 6:30 a.m. Feb. 22. Mercy immediately evacuated the six patients it had to ambulances. They were transported to Mercy Hospital Aurora (Mo.) after staff spoke with their family.
No injuries were reported.
Mercy said the fire was confined to about a quarter of the building, which sustained mainly smoke and water damage.
Mercy said the decision to close will allow it to assess the damage and ensure that the facility's systems are working properly.
"Right now, we think we’re mostly dealing with smoke and water damage," said Valerie Davis, administrator of Mercy Hospital Cassville in a statement to KTTS. "But we want to ensure everything is running perfectly and is safe for both our patients and co-workers before we resume patient care. We are so grateful for the quick response from our co-workers, fire crews and law enforcement."
Mercy said that although the hospital is closed, a physician, ambulance and support staff are standing by in the event that someone presents to the hospital with an emergency. The Mercy Family Medicine Clinic in Cassville, which is housed in the same building as the hospital, will also be temporarily closed.
Mercy said it will alert the public when the hospital reopens.