Fear and urgency filled the air as a fire took hold in a hospital on a Tuesday afternoon in Valencia. The blaze was reported on one of the rooms on the fifth floor, where psychiatric care is provided, and the situation escalated quickly, prompting a hospital-wide response. Within hours, 41 patients were evacuated as a precaution and until the area could be deemed safe. Eighteen patients spent the night in other facilities, with some admitted to Arnau and La Fe hospitals. The others, on the fourth floor of Internal Medicine, were allowed to return to their rooms later that evening once conditions permitted. After the air quality stabilized and carbon dioxide levels dropped, the area was deemed safe for reoccupation. The event showcased the hospital staff’s rapid response and effective coordination under pressure.
The incident began around six in the evening when smoke emerged from a room on the fifth floor. The first aid calls came from the fifth floor of the Llíria hospital, where psychiatric patients are housed, and from the Valencian Community Emergency Centre. Firefighters from the Firefighters Consortium were mobilized, with units from Paterna, l’Eliana, and Chiva joining three command units to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading. Local police and civilian security personnel were also dispatched to assist at the scene.
Evacuation in three minutes
As medical staff sounded the alarm, patient evacuation began promptly, a process Health Minister Marciano Gómez later described as exemplary. Eighteen patients on the fifth floor were the initial ones moved into the hospital lobby, where the smoke plume was most evident. Patients on the ground floor and those in the Internal Medicine department were evacuated with their accompanying family members, ensuring safety while the area was secured for movement and reassessment.
Flames contained
The hospital had the area developed with fire-fighting measures since its construction in 2015, a factor that helped limit the spread of the fire. Fire brigades arrived on the scene, the affected room was sealed, and the flames were brought under control with minimal risk of expansion. The room where the fire began was ultimately destroyed by the blaze, and crews secured the area by approximately 19:22. Smoke drifted across floors until conditions allowed a safe evaluation, and then patients on the fourth floor were not immediately returned to their rooms. Some residents temporarily relocated to dining and common areas as transfers were organized and safety checks continued.
As the situation evolved, the hospital management confirmed that keeping the east wing secure and ensuring orderly movement of patients would help reduce risk while assessments continued. The aim was to balance rapid evacuation with careful containment and ongoing monitoring of air quality as the day progressed.
Transfers to Arnau and La Fe
With the fifth-floor rooms rendered unusable, the decision was made to relocate psychiatric patients to other hospitals in Valencia. The majority would stay overnight outside the Llíria facility. Among the eighteen affected patients, fifteen were moved to Arnau de Vilanova, while three were transferred to La Fe hospital in Valencia. These arrangements were made to ensure continuity of care and safety during the investigation and recovery period.
The fire response teams continued to assess whether the fire was still active or whether there were lingering dangers. The health ministry did not speculate on the cause during the immediate aftermath, and a council member noted that the investigation would be led by the fire department. The focus remained on safeguarding patients, staff, and community residents while the investigation proceeded.
Appreciation for staff
The minister of health praised the dedication and competence of the center’s staff during the crisis. He highlighted the rapid evacuation as a defining achievement of the day, noting that the operation was completed in less than three minutes and that the head of the Llíria Fire Brigade commended the team for their training and coordination. The council member further announced ongoing reviews to confirm all safety protocols and to determine any necessary adjustments in the aftermath of the incident.
Following the emergency response, officials indicated that the fifth floor would incur a recovery period, with an estimated two to three weeks before normal operations could resume. A thorough assessment by the infrastructure leadership was scheduled to review the site overnight to ensure a clear path forward for reconstruction, safety, and patient care.
Source attribution for this report comes from the regional health authorities and municipal fire services, reflecting collaborative confirmation of events and response details.