UPDATED AT 4:35 P.M.:

Gritman Medical Center said on its Facebook page that all patients in the hospital were safe during the incident and accommodations were made to move them to other areas of the building.

New patients were briefly diverted to other area hospitals while crews investigated the incident.

“Patients impacted by the evacuation will be contacted to reschedule their appointments,” Gritman announced. “We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the incident.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department determined that malfunctioning equipment caused smoke in the upper floors of Gritman Medical Center, which forced an evacuation of the hospital Thursday morning in Moscow.

Chief Brian Nickerson said in a news release that fire crews were dispatched to Gritman just before 10 a.m. after receiving a report of light smoke on the third floor and the odor of smoke in other areas of the hospital.

When crews arrived, the hospital’s alarm was already sounding and an evacuation was underway. Smoke was also reported on the first and second floors, particularly around the surgery wing of the hospital.

Investigators determined the smoke was caused by a malfunctioning HVAC unit that burned its belts and bearings.

The fire alarm was reset, and Gritman staff were given back control of the building.

Pullman Fire Department, Moscow Rural Fire District, Whitman District 12, and Moscow Police Department also responded to the scene.