Shreveport power surge causes 3 fire emergencies
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: October 12, 2012
An electrical power surge in Shreveport this morning caused motors in an elevator at Christus Schumpert St. Mary (hospital) this morning. Smoke from the burning motors permeated halls on some floors, according to a hospital spokesperson, and five patients were evacuated from the seventh floor to the fifth floor.
The hospital's maintenance crew was able to identify the source of the fire and quickly put it out, but not before smoke filled some of the halls. The Shreveport Fire Department was on the scene within minutes, as well.
Employees were quickly evacuated from several floors of the hospital, something that is often practiced in periodic drills. Firefighters had the area totally cleared of smoke by noon, the spokesperson said.
SFD Assistant Chief Fred Sanders said the Christus Schumpert fire was one of three calls in the area of the power surge that the Shreveport firefighters responded to. The Louisiana state office building on Fairfield and Jordon also had an elevator motor burn, and firefighters also responded to a call from Specialty Hospital.
