Patients evacuated after fire in Surrey Memorial Hospital ER bathroom

The exterior of Surrey Memorial Hospital is pictured in this undated file photo.

A fire in a bathroom prompted the evacuation of part of Surrey Memorial Hospital’s emergency department Monday morning, forcing some patients to seek care elsewhere.

Fraser Health confirmed a patient was in one of the hospital’s bathrooms when “a flammable liquid was lit on fire” and sprinklers were activated. That patient was injured and treated at Surrey Memorial.

Surrey RCMP said they worked with the Surrey Fire Service and determined the fire was not intentional, and “therefore, there is no criminal investigation into the incident.”

A “code red” was called for the flames, followed by a “code green” that prompted an evacuation of that section of the hospital. Some patients were treated in other areas of the emergency department while others went to the Surrey-Whalley Urgent and Primary Care Centre either in an ambulance or on their own. 

Sources tell CTV News a black-coloured liquid was observed streaming from the bathroom and near the busy CATZ (Care, Assessment and Treatment Zone) section of the emergency department, and that a “code brown” was also activated due to hazmat concerns. They later “determined that it was just rust-colored water from the sprinkler pipes and deemed not hazardous,” according to Fraser Health.

Multiple sources tell CTV News the bathroom was badly damaged, with the ceiling caved in as a result.

Despite the commotion and displacement, the provincial website tracking emergency department wait and treatment times displayed low numbers for Surrey Memorial throughout the day: three hours to be seen by a doctor, and an overall stay of just under four-and-a-half hours.

Surrey Memorial has faced long delays and a serious staffing crisis in recent months, with exceptional measures taken to keep the facility running.