fire at Burnaby Hospital on Nov. 15 appears to have been arson, RCMP said Thursday.The three-alarm fire, which broke out in a basement-level utility room, spread smoke to other areas of the building and forced the evacuation and closure of the emergency room.Patients had to be moved to other areas of the hospital as a result, Fraser Health said, and thus contributed to the spread of a COVID-19 outbreak that eventually grew to 55 patients and five deaths.Forty staff members also tested positive for the coronavirus.Medical appointments and some surgeries were also rescheduled.
Fire at Burnaby Hospital a factor in COVID-19 outbreak affecting 55 patients The health authority declared the outbreak on Nov.