A two-alarm fire damaged the cogeneration power plant on the Marian Regional Medical Center campus Saturday afternoon, but did not spread to the main hospital.
The blaze was reported at 12:28 p.m. in a utility building behind the main hospital, at 1400 E. Church St., and was controlled about 30 minutes later, according to the Santa Maria Fire Department.
“We don’t know what started the fire at this time,” Battalion Chief Mike Farmer said. “All we know is we had a fire in the cogeneration plant of the hospital.”
The cogeneration power plant uses methane gas delivered via pipeline from the Santa Maria Regional Landfill to generate electricity for the hospital complex.
“Our biggest danger was the methane igniting, so when we showed up and had smoke and fire coming from the building our main concern was is the methane going ignite,” Farmer said.
“Just like natural gas, it would have been a torch.”
Crews were dealing with lingering hot spots in the structure, he added.
Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene for at last two more hours for overhauling chores.
“The crews did an excellent job setting up aerial master streams and ground monitors to knock down the initial fire,” fire Chief Leonard Champion said.
With that done, the focus turned to evaluating the potential hazard posed by the methane and the unknown chemicals in the building, which is located approximately 150 feet away from the main hospital.
“Once they decide it’s safe to enter, they can go in and confirm that the fire’s under control,” Champion said.
Santa Maria firefighters were assisted on the two-alarm fire by personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Cal Fire in San Luis Obispo.
With help from the county fire hazmat unit, commanders confirmed the incident did not result in any hazardous levels for personnel, and no decontamination was necessary afterward, Farmer said.
No evacuations from the hospital were needed and no injuries were reported, according to fire officials.
“As far as patients go, everything is completely fine,” said Megan Maloney, a Marian spokeswoman. “All ambulance traffic in and out continues.”
Vents to the hospital were shut down to ensure smoke did not enter the facility, she added.
Marian opened the cogeneration plant approximately nine years ago, purchasing the natural byproduct of methane from the municipal landfill. A 10-inch pipeline carries the methane to the hospital complex from the landfill 2 miles away.
The cogeneration plant is a redundant system for the hospital, which primarily uses Pacific Gas & Electric Co. power, Maloney said. The hospital touted the green energy plant as a way to save money.
The extent of the damage and required repairs was not yet known.
With all Santa Maria fire personnel focused on the Marian fire, crews from the outside agencies also responded to other incidents in the city, handling at least three medical calls, Champion said.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
