Outbreak in Surgery Section 2

On Saturday, 22 August 2026, a fire broke out between 06:00 and 06:30 in a patient room located on the third floor of the Fundeni Clinical Institute in Bucharest. The incident occurred within Surgery Section 2, where an on-duty medical team immediately evacuated the lone patient occupying the room to a secure area. Employees called the 112 emergency hotline and coordinated with the hospital's internal security team to attack the fire using wall-mounted extinguishers stationed throughout the ward. Because of this immediate containment effort, the flames were largely suppressed before emergency vehicles arrived, leaving only residual smoke in the room. Authorities triggered the regional Red Intervention Plan, a protocol reserved for large-scale incidents, to prepare regional hospitals and response units for a potential mass casualty event.

“The fire indeed started in a ward room, probably from a mattress, but we do not know the details. The firefighters will establish and communicate them.”

Mobilization and floor evacuation

Dense smoke generated by the fire spread from the room across the third-floor corridors, creating hazardous conditions that necessitated the evacuation of 37 patients on that level. Department for Emergency Situations chief Raed Arafat noted in television remarks on Digi 24 that while the fire was restricted to a single salon, smoke filled the entire section, making swift movement essential. The Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate deployed an extensive fleet to manage the emergency, sending 15 water and foam firefighting trucks alongside six mobile emergency resuscitation units. Specialized equipment sent to the hospital included one aerial ladder vehicle designed for high-altitude rescues, one technical extrication truck, and personnel from the Special Rescuers Detachment. Emergency workers collaborated with on-duty clinical staff to escort patients away from the smoke-inundated ward and into unaffected medical departments on other floors. Responders completed the full liquidation of the fire shortly after arriving, focusing subsequent efforts on mechanical ventilation to clear toxic fumes from the building.

Water and foam fire engines15

SMURD emergency crews6

Aerial rescue vehicle1

Extrication vehicle1

Water and foam fire engines

15 vehicles/crews

SMURD emergency crews

6 vehicles/crews

Aerial rescue vehicle

1 vehicles/crews

Extrication vehicle

1 vehicles/crews

Data from the article text

“In smoke it is more difficult to evacuate patients, but the firefighters intervened quickly. There are no persons with even minor injuries.”

Investigation and return to regular operations

Initial on-site inquiries conducted by emergency authorities determined that the fire began at a mattress inside the surgical room, though the technical investigation into the exact ignition source is continuing. Despite the activation of the Red Intervention Plan and the mobilization of emergency room doctors from UPU-SMURD Bucharest, no medical interventions were required for smoke exposure or physical trauma. Official assessments from both the emergency inspectorate and hospital administrators confirmed zero casualties and no substantial material damage to the clinical infrastructure. Once firefighters certified that air quality had returned to normal and structural conditions were safe, all 37 evacuated patients were transferred back to their beds in Surgery Section 2. Representatives of the Fundeni Clinical Institute assured families and admitted patients that medical activities across all departments continue to operate under maximum safety conditions. Hospital leadership publicly commended the nursing staff, security team, and municipal fire crews for preventing the fire from spreading further.