Chief: Fire at Gettysburg Hospital started in basement near cafeteria

More than 25 units were dispatched to Gettysburg Hospital on Thursday morning for a fire that started in a basement utility room near the cafeteria area, according to Gettysburg Fire Chief Hurshel Shank. 

According to Shank, an outside contractor was drilling a hole in a wall when the drill hit fiberboard, causing it to burn and smoke.

“This was not a large incident, but it was a complicated incident,” Shank said.

The smoke traveled through the walls and up to the roof, reaching other levels of the hospital, but the fire was contained, Shank said. 

"No one was injured, but a significant amount of smoke damage did occur in the building, so some patients were moved to other parts of the building," said WellSpan spokeperson Ryan Coyle. 

Outpatient services were canceled for the rest of day Thursday. The emergency department remains open.

Shank said the hospital called in a tractor trailer to serve food as the kitchen was not in service.

Check back often as this is a developing story.