Patients evacuated after large fire breaks out at Brackley Medical Centre
Patients were forced to evacuate Brackley Medical Centre and Community Hospital after a large fire broke out on Sunday night (July 26)
A total of 12 patients were safely evacuated from the medical centre after a blaze started on a second-floor balcony and spread to the building's roof.
Fire crews from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue, supported by colleagues from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, were called to the incident shortly before 11.10pm.
At the height of the incident, six fire engines, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, multiple hose-reel and main jets, and an aerial appliance were used to tackle the blaze.
Firefighters also deployed measures inside the building to minimise water damage caused by extinguishing the fire, reducing the impact on the vital services provided by the medical centre.
The last firefighters left the scene at around 4.30am today (July 27), after working alongside partner organisations to ensure the facility could reopen as planned.
Thankfully, there were no reported casualties as a result of the fire.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue area manager Neil Sadler said: “Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service responded to a large number of incidents across the county from yesterday afternoon and throughout the night.
“This was a particularly challenging incident, requiring a coordinated response from fire and rescue services across three counties, alongside EMAS and healthcare partners, to ensure the safety of patients, staff and the wider community.
“I would like to thank our Fire Control and operational crews for their professionalism and efforts to manage this incident and express my thanks to our neighbouring fire and rescue services for their support, our partner agencies for their assistance, and local residents for their patience and understanding while crews dealt with the incident.”
An investigation is now under way to determine the cause of the fire.
Brackley Medical Centre took to social media today (July 27) to reassure residents that it is open and services are running as normal.
A spokesperson for the centre said: “We're open and it's business as usual.
“Following the fire in part of our building, we're pleased to let everyone know that we remain open and are operating as normal.
“We'd like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and everyone who has sent messages of support and concern.”