By Associated Press - Tuesday, July 23, 2019

ORANGE, Calif. (AP) - No injuries were reported after a Southern California hospital’s emergency department was evacuated due to smoke in the basement below.

The smoke was reported at the UC Irvine Medical Center shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday and about 75 emergency department patients were moved elsewhere.

Spokesman John Murray tells the Orange County Register that facility workers and firefighters determined the smoke was caused by oil leaking from a vacuum air pump in a maintenance room.



The emergency department remained closed as crews cleaned it and installed air filters to remove remaining smoke and odor.

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