MONTESANO, Wash. — A fire at the Montesano Health and Rehabilitation Center, a long-term care facility, forced 77 patients to evacuate Wednesday evening.
The Montesano Fire Department (MFD) responded to a fire alarm at the facility and reports of smoke in the kitchen area and smoke coming from the roof just after 5:30 p.m. The facility, located on the 800 block of North Medcalf Street, cares for a variety of patients, including people recovering from injuries or surgery to those receiving end-of-life care, according to the Montesano Police Department (MPD).
The MFD “began an aggressive attack of the fire” and requested additional resources. Around 50 firefighters from agencies across Grays Harbor County and the region responded. The fire was under control in just under three hours, the police department said.
Staff members began evacuating all 77 patients at the first sign of smoke. Around 29 staff members on duty and several neighbors helped evacuate the patients, the police department said.
The patients, some under hospice care, were taken to the Montesano High School gym temporarily. The Grays Harbor County Sheriff (GHCS) said all of the 77 patients are in the process or have already been moved to other facilities or hospitals.
No injuries were reported.
State fire assistance was mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan to support local firefighters working to assist with evacuation efforts at the request of the Montesano police and fire departments.
Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia said they activated a Disaster Medical Control Center, which is a type of incident control center that is activated in a mass casualty incident.
The Red Cross also responded to the fire. Disaster Action teams were reaching out with immediate assistance and emergency support as necessary, the Red Cross tweeted.
The State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray was activated to Level 2 to help coordinate state assistance for what they are calling the Montesano Health and Rehabilitation Fire. Mobilization specialists from the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Fire Protection Bureau also responded to the scene and were working remotely to coordinate dispatching resources.
The MPD said ambulance strike teams from Pierce, Thurston, and Pacific counties were dispatched to assist with patient care and transport. The Montesano School District and Grays Harbor Transit also supplied buses capable of transporting patients in wheelchairs
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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