Massive Fire Hits Southampton General Hospital
A huge blaze tore through Southampton General Hospital early Sunday, sparking a major emergency and calling in over 100 firefighters to battle the flames.
Fire Breaks Out in Endoscopy Unit
The fire erupted around 5:30am in the hospital’s west wing, specifically in the endoscopy unit. Luckily, no one was hurt. Staff sprang into action, evacuating roughly 200 patients from the danger zone to safer parts of the building.
The hospital has slammed its doors to visitors and cancelled all outpatient appointments for the day. Its emergency department is now sending non-critical cases elsewhere.
Firefighters Bring Blaze Under Control but Smoke Chaos Continues
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service deployed more than 110 firefighters at the blaze’s peak. By 10am, they had the fire contained but stayed on site to damp down hotspots and clear thick smoke.
“Many of us, including myself, had a slightly rude awakening this morning and were called into the hospital, all hands on deck, to deal with what is a major incident,” said Dr Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer. “The situation has been hugely challenging but we’ve held meetings every half hour with teams both inside and outside the hospital.”
The fire stayed mostly in the original room, but smoke spread across the floor, causing major disruption.
Road Closures and Ongoing Fire Operations
Emergency crews shut roads around the Coxford Road hospital entrance while patients were relocated to the lobby and other safe zones. Locals needing medical care are urged to visit nearby urgent treatment centres like Royal South Hants Hospital or Lymington New Forest Hospital.
“The fire is out and we are scaling down operations now, but crews will remain on scene for the foreseeable future,” explained Group Manager Larry Mackrell. “At this stage, we don’t know what caused the fire.”
The investigation into the cause is ongoing as crews continue their work.
