Fires Spread at Local Hospitals, One Man Arrested

Thirty-two-year-old Daniel Holmes has been arrested for starting several fires at HCA Florida West Marion Hospital. It is unclear as to why Holmes started the fires. 

According to Wesh 2, there were upwards of three fires burning from inside the hospital. One fire occurred on the fifth floor near a coffee station, one was on the first floor in the men’s and women’s bathroom. Crews extinguished the fires with minimal damage to the building. No one was reportedly hurt during the incident.   

Holmes is facing charges of arson of a hospital, arson of a dwelling, arson of a wooded area and battery of emergency medical personnel.  

This isn’t the only hospital that has experienced a fire recently. In South Carolina, a fire at Greenville hospital forced an evacuation and temporarily closed the outpatient.  

According to WYFF, the fire started in a washing machine at the outpatient facility. The building was evacuated and remains closed as they assess operations. The fire was extinguished quickly, however, witnesses said that there was a large amount of smoke.  

The fires come just a week after a blaze killed 29 people in Beijing. Officials said that the “sparks generated during renovation works had ignited paint stored on site,” the BBC reports. At the time of reporting, 12 people have been detained by police, including the director and deputy director of the hospital, as well as the head of the firm overseeing the renovation. They are being investigated for possible violations of safety management regulations.   

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor for the facilities market.