45 people evacuated as 58 firefighters tackle blaze at North London Hospital

Forty-five people were evacuated from wards at a north London hospital on Sunday night after a fire broke out.

Almost 60 firefighters and eight fire engines rushed to Chase Farm Hospital on The Ridgeway in Enfield at just after 10.10pm.

They discovered a blaze on the ground floor of the two-storey building.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said seven people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, while the hospital trust confirmed two members of staff had been taken to hospital.

A total of 14 patients were moved to alternative accommodation on site for the night as their ward was damaged in the blaze, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust added.

Firefighters spent more than two hours tackling the fire, bringing it under control by 12.40am on Monday.

A spokeswoman for LFB said: “A small part of the ground floor was damaged by fire.

“Fire crews from Enfield, Southgate, Edmonton, Chingford and Barnet fire stations were at the scene.”

Those evacuated were out of the hospital by the time crews arrived.

The NHS trust said on Twitter: “Fire started on our premises after 10pm this evening. Seven people were treated at the scene suffering from smoke inhalation. Of those, two members of staff were then taken to hospital. 14 patients have been found alternative accommodation for the night as their ward is damaged.”

The cause of the fire is now under investigation.

Enfield Southgate MP Bambos Charalambous said he was “shocked” to hear about the incident.

He wrote on Twitter: “Shocked to hear about the fire at Chase Farm Hospital. I hope everyone is safe. I will be contacting @RoyalFreeNHS to find out what emergency steps are in place to tackle urgent health pressures as a result of the fire. Many thanks to our firefighters.”

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