Patients evacuated after fire breaks out at hospital

A large fire has caused extensive damage to a North Yorkshire hospital building, with 15 patients evacuated.

The fire broke out at Malton and Norton District Hospital at about 11:15 BST on Wednesday, with North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (NYFRS) attending.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said all patients had been safely evacuated, with no reports of any injuries.

Drone footage shows extensive damage to a large building within the grounds, with the roof destroyed.

Residents were asked by NYFRS to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution, with people told to avoid the area to allow access for emergency services.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust runs the 14-bed Springwood unit at the hospital, which provides mental health services for older people.

"We are working closely with the emergency services to manage the situation and can confirm that all patients and staff are safe," a spokesperson said.

"We are grateful to the emergency services and local school colleagues who have supported our patients and staff so compassionately."

Andy Daw, group manager at the fire service, said the Springwood unit was a 50 x 30m (164 x 98ft) building and was fully engulfed when crews arrived.

At the height of the blaze there were six fire engines at the scene, but that number had been scaled back to two with an aerial ladder platform as of 18:00 BST.

Daw said fire crews "expect to be here for some considerable time moving forward".

He said the Springwood unit was completely out of action but the main hospital would be able to reopen once the gas and electric was turned back on.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "If you have an appointment at Malton Hospital today, please do not attend.

"Our teams are reviewing all affected appointments and we will contact you as soon as possible to rearrange or discuss the next steps."

A trust spokesperson said Malton Urgent Treatment Centre was also closed due to the fire.

"We will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available," they added.

Although a fire investigation team is on site, Daw explained it would be too early to determine a cause.

"While the fire's still going, it's too early for us to gain any access and to have a look at that," he said.

"The weather today is extremely hot, it's very deep seated, so at the minute, just from a safety point of view, we haven't got any firefighters committed into the building."

The group manager confirmed 15 patients had been evacuated safely from the unit and about 40 fire personnel were on site.

Residents who reported hearing explosions and bangs from the unit were reassured by Daw.

"It was just literally some oxygen canisters that were banging and popping, as we would expect," he said.

"There's no significant risk now with the building, there's no further properties going to be involved in this from where we are at the minute.

"Just keep listening to the information that's been provided by the police, keep your windows and doors shut."

Malton Town Council described "some ash and debris falling from the sky" as the fire burned.

"Our thoughts are for the safety of the patients, staff and emergency services at this time," a spokesperson said.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed it was also in attendance to assist with local road closures.

The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services for adults in the Ryedale area.

They include inpatient rehabilitation, palliative care and services such as community midwifery, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.

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