Fire Damages Nebraska Hospital’s 2 Ambulances

A weekend fire at a central Nebraska hospital caused significant damage to both of its ambulances.

The fire happened Sunday morning at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege.

Both of the hospital’s two ambulances were parked in the garage at Phelps Memorial when one of the ambulances caught fire.

Hospital administrator Mark Harrell says all the patients were evacuated within eight minutes after the fire was found. They were able to return to their rooms later Sunday.

But Harrell says one ambulance is a total loss and the other sustained heavy smoke damage. He estimated the damage at $500,000.

An electrical problem in one of the ambulances is believed to have caused the fire, which started near the vehicle’s battery.