About 90 patients at a North Carolina rehabilitation facility that suffered a structure fire have been safely moved and housed in other facilities, first responders in Burke County reported last night.
Crews were dispatched shortly before 1 p.m. to the fire at Grace Heights Health and Rehabilitation Center on Foothills Drive, behind UNC Blue Ridge. All patients had been removed from the site and relocated by 3 p.m., some of them to a shelter.
“We are happy to report that all of the residents of Grace Heights have now been moved out of the temporary shelter, and the shelter is ending operations. Residents have all been transported to other facilities where they will be housed,” officials said in a late Sunday night update.
All critical care patients were transported to neighboring health facilities while several patients were transported to area hospitals for further evaluation for heat-related illness and smoke inhalation.
There are no reported injuries to patients or emergency personnel.
The State Bureau of Investigation and Morganton Public Safety are investigating the cause of the fire.
The following departments responded to the scene: Morganton Public Safety, Burke County Emergency Management, Burke County Emergency Services, the Burke County Fire Marshal’s Office, Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and Burke County Rescue.
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