Fire official: hospital blaze being investigated

BAYONNE – The cause of a four-alarm blaze on the roof of the Bayonne Medical Center on Friday, Oct. 24 – which reportedly caused the evacuation of 31 patients from the hospital’s fifth floor – is still under investigation, a fire official said.
Firefighters responded to the fire on the facility’s roof at 10:33 p.m. and had it under control within one hour, according to Fire Chief Gregory Rogers.
“Arriving companies confronted heavy fire coming from the roof of the six-story hospital and multiple alarms were struck to support suppression and evacuation efforts,” Roger said in a statement. “Multiple fire companies made their way to the roof from the interior of the building and witnessed large quantities of roofing materials and propane tanks exposed and burning in an area where roof repairs had taken place.”
Firefighters were able to confine and extinguish the flames that had damaged the rooftop and multiple rooftop ventilation points, Rogers said.
Hospital management reported that there were no injuries to any of the 82 patients who were in the building at the time of the fire, officials said.
The preliminary investigation determined that the fire originated on the roof. Fire damage was isolated to that area.
The Bayonne Police Department, Jersey City Fire Department, McCabe Ambulance, and Bayonne Fire Canteen responded to the scene.

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