Oxygen Tanker Truck Explosion In Santa Rosa Prompts Evacuations
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- An explosion involving a tanker carrying oxygen at a Kaiser Permanente medical office facility in Santa Rosa Wednesday afternoon prompted evacuations and the temporary shut down of nearby U.S. Highway 101.
The incident was reported at 2:35 p.m. at the Kaiser offices on 3925 Mendocino Ave., a REDCOM dispatcher said. Three ambulances and a hazardous waste unit responded, and a command post has been established at the scene, the dispatcher said.
Santa Rosa fire officials wrote on Twitter that the hospital campus has been evacuated and that U.S. Highway 101 and streets in the area have been shut down.
The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.
Authorities said all roads in the area reopened by around 4:30 p.m.
While it was initially reported that the tanker truck hit a wall at the facility, causing an explosion and small fire, Kaiser later released a statement that there was no crash.
"Contrary to early reports, the tanker did not crash and there is no damage to the building," the statement said. "We immediately alerted local fire and emergency response officials and proceeded to safely evacuate all patients and employees from our two medical office buildings."
Kaiser officials said there were no injuries to patients or employees. There was no impact to the Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa hospital, which is located about a mile away.
While the office buildings were closed while the incident is resolved, Kaiser officials initially said they expected to reopen the two buildings Thursday as usual.
Officials later announced that while the medical offices at 3925 Old Redwood Highway will be open and conducting normal operations, the offices at 3975 Old Redwood Highway would remain closed on Thursday for further inspections.
Kaiser Permanente is reaching out to patients who have appointments or ambulatory surgery scheduled for Thursday at that building to reschedule or make alternative arrangements
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