Leaders with Centura Health and Avista Adventist Hospital conducted a thorough assessment of the campus today, which will remain ongoing, and, remarkably, the hospital did not sustain direct fire damage. However, the team determined there is extensive smoke damage that will keep the hospital closed for the foreseeable future.
“The high winds were driving the fire straight toward our hospital on the north side, so to return hours later and find no significant damage is truly a miracle,” said Isaac Sendros, chief executive officer for Avista Adventist Hospital. “We are eternally grateful and thankful to the first responders who responded with urgency and have tirelessly worked since the fire first erupted in our community. Avista will be a light in the darkness as we support our friends, neighbors, and community in this recovery.
Flames came within four feet of the highly flammable oxygen tanks located on the west side of the building, but staff fought back the flames with hoses, avoiding what could have been a catastrophic explosion. The hospital is without natural gas and is currently relying on diesel power generators to maintain the boiler and heat systems.
Professional cleaning crews are at Avista now to assess the smoke damage, as well as to determine next steps to conduct a terminal clean and sanitize the hospital. In addition, hospital teams are evaluating the air quality inside the facility, replacing filters, restoring air pressure, and evaluating the viability of the surgical supplies.
The Colorado National Guard will support our security team in securing the facility. There is currently no media access. As a result, Centura Health is providing the following videos and photos taken throughout the hospital this morning.
Video Links:
- Wildfire video from roof of Avista
- Avista CEO Isaac Sendros explains threat to oxygen tank
- Calvin Smith, Administrative Director of Surgical Services explains the inside air filtration system
- Calvin Smith shows how smoke damaged the outside air filter system
- Tour of med-surg room with smoke damage
Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. As a joint operating agreement between its two Sponsors: CommonSpirit Health, a Catholic ministry, and AdventHealth, a ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Centura manages and operates 20 hospitals, neighborhood health centers, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life® Colorado. Through its Vision of every community, every neighborhood and every life – whole and healthy, its caregivers amplify whole person care and make the region’s best health care accessible. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit the Centura Health website.
