DENVILLE TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) – No one was injured after an air handler caught fire on the roof due to a mechanical failure at Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital Monday morning, Denville Township Police Captain Jeffrey Tucker said.
On April 12, at around 11:59 a.m., township police responded to Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital on a report of an activated smoke alarm. Upon arrival, it was determined that there was an active smoke condition within portions of the hospital, to include the area of the emergency room, Tucker said.
As a result, the emergency room was evacuated and a total of eight patients were subsequently transported to the emergency room of Saint Clare’s Dover Hospital, Tucker said.
Patients and staff in other sections of the building affected by the smoke relocated to non-affected areas within the hospital, Tucker said.
The Denville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and it was ultimately determined that a malfunctioning air handler on the roof of the hospital caught fire, which then spread the smoke to various areas within the building, Tucker said.
The fire was quickly extinguished and there were no reported injuries to any patients, staff or first responders, Tucker said.
In addition to the Denville Police and Fire Departments, the following agencies assisted in various capacities: Morris County Sheriff’s Department, Morris County Park Police, Morris County Office of Emergency Management, Morris County EMS, St. Clare’s EMS, Parsippany Fire Department, Boonton Township Fire Department, Town of Boonton Fire Department, Rockaway Borough Fire Department, Rockaway Township Fire Department, Morris Township Fire Department and the Randolph Fire Department.
