TURLOCK -- A construction crew hit an oxygen line at Emanuel Medical Center on Thursday morning, causing a brief fire that resulted in the displacement of a few patients, but no injuries, officials said.
Crews broke the line at 8:43 a.m. while working on two operating rooms under construction at the hospital.
Fire crews arrived at 8:47 a.m., according to Turlock police Sgt. Steve Webb. By then, construction workers had extinguished the blaze.
Firefighters cleared smoke from hallways and knocked down some walls to ensure the fire was out, said Gary Lunsford, battalion chief for the Turlock Fire Department.
Officials said the broken line did not affect oxygen services at the hospital.
Five babies in the nearby neonatal unit were sent to a Modesto hospital as a precautionary measure, said Pennie Rorex, vice president for corporate communications at Emanuel.
In addition to the five babies who were taken to Modesto, four expecting mothers were moved to other rooms at Emanuel.
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