Firefighters leap into action after alarm sounded over mystery smell of burning on the top floor of Queen Alexandra Hospital

Staff and patients from the dialysis unit on G-level were forced to vacate the ward after people noticed the smell coming from the staff kitchen area just after 9am.

Six fire engines from Cosham, Southsea, Portchester and Fareham attended the hospital along with support units and aerial platforms as they carried out frantic searches for the blaze.

But after thorough checks, firefighters were unable to locate the source of the smell before it disappeared. Fire crews left the scene at 9.37am.

Steve Pearce, watch manager of Cosham Fire Station, said: ‘We were told there was a smell of electrical burning coming from the top floor so staff began to evacuate while we were on en route.

‘We used thermal imagery cameras but we couldn’t find the source upon arrival. The smell then dissipated so no action was needed by us.

‘They evacuated a quarter of the ward with very poorly people escorted by staff members to another ward close by before I stopped the evacuation after deeming the area safe.

‘It was very lucky it was nothing more serious. It was manic. Six fire engines turned up en masse with support vehicles.’

He added: ‘The hospital’s onsite electrician was going to do the appropriate checks and see if there is a faulty application somewhere.’

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