NEWPORT BEACH : 70 Evacuated From Hospital in Fire Scare
About 70 people were evacuated from Hoag Hospital’s Cancer Center on Monday after the transformer on a linear accelerator malfunctioned and activated the facility’s firefighting system. There were no injuries.
About 11.30 a.m., a hospital technician noticed that the accelerator, which targets cancer tumors for radiation treatment, was malfunctioning, later emitting smoke and a smell, according to spokeswoman Pam Le Muiex.
“There were no flames, no visible fire,” Le Muiex said, and no radiation leakage. Some of the plastic on the machine melted, she said. Newport Beach police and fire officials were notified and the center’s three floors were evacuated by 20 patients and 50 staff.
“We determined there was no danger of any hazardous materials released to anybody,” said Nick Waite, battalion chief, who traced the incident to a $1,000 part on the unit.
There were no patients being treated on the $1.5-million machine, one of two operated by Hoag, at the time of the incident. By the end of the day, employees returned to two of the center’s three floors, Le Muiex said.
Once the fire retardant has been cleaned up by hospital staff, the first floor will also be cleared for use, along with both accelerators.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
