Kincade Fire: Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa evacuated due to threat from wildfire

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital is being evacuated due to the red flag warning and high wind advisory associated with the Kincade Fire. That order was issued around 6:15 p.m. by CAL FIRE, though there is no fire burning in the vicinity.

Ralston says the hospital was ordered to evacuate after this part of Santa Rosa went from an area issued an evacuation warning to mandatory evacuations.

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"There is no immediate threat to the hospital. We are really doing this out an abundance of caution," says Shawn Ralston, a regional manager with Sutter Health.

Patients are being transferred to local hospitals in Novato, Marin and San Francisco. The location will be determined by the acuteness of their condition and where they will receive the best care.

This hospital was evacuated in 2017 during the Tubbs Fire, when the fire "was literally at our door step. So, we didn't have the advanced warning," explains Ralston.

"This, in a way, is nice, because we can protect our patient well in advance of any fire that may come," says Ralston.

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Ralston says this impacts about 100 patients: 10 patients are in the intensive care unit, 13 are in the emergency department and the rest are patients recovering from surgery or receiving general medical care.

Those patients who are not infectious and who do not require specialized care will be bused out. Those requiring supervision will be transported by ambulance.

Ralston says patients will be evacuated over the next four to six hours. The first patients will start being evacuated by 10 p.m. The staff will also be sent home.

Get the latest developments on the Kincade Fire here.