Firefighters were called to Wesley Medical Center in east Wichita Thursday afternoon when a patient set fire to one of the emergency rooms.
The fire was reported around 3:15 p.m. Hospital officials said an attending nurse, who is a former firefighter, was able to put the flames out quickly, and the fire was isolated to a single room. Smoke filled the emergency department and a temporary tent had to be set up to evaluate incoming patients, then they were sent to the Children’s Hospital emergency department or the East Wing of the emergency department.
Staff used fans to clear the smoke and the smell from the emergency room area. The patient who set the fire is no longer at Wesley.
Wesley CEO Bill Voloch said in a press release that the nurse who put out the fire is a “hero who saved lives today with his quick thinking and actions.”
No injuries were reported.
