Local news in Brief : Orange : False Alarm Causes Hospital Evacuation
A false alarm about “toxic fumes” in a hospital closet caused the temporary evacuation of about 35 patients on the fourth floor of St. Josepth Hospital on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
No one was hurt, and the 2-hour evacuation of the fourth floor in two wings was orderly and without incident, hospital spokesman Dennis Gaschen said.
“It was a false alarm and the incident lasted about 2 hours,” Gaschen said. “A housekeeper thought she smelled something in a closet. The (Orange County) Hazardous Materials Team came and found nothing. Perhaps the woman smelled a cleaning solvent.”
According to a Fire Department official, the report about a possible toxic incident came at 12:50 p.m. Orange police, as well as the county’s Hazardous Materials Team, responded to the call, Gaschen said.
The stories shaping California
Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
