AIR7 video from just after 11 a.m. showed firefighters setting up a triage area outside the hospital, located at 309 West Beverly Blvd., as crews prepared for the possibility of multiple injuries. Patients were seen being brought outside.
The incident quickly escalated into a second-alarm fire, bringing in help from surrounding departments, including Los Angeles County, to assist the Montebello fire crews.
Patients in the emergency room and ICU were moved out as ambulances lined Beverly Boulevard, ready to transport them to a sister hospital in Boyle Heights.
Hospital officials say the fire started in a staff break room. While flames were never seen from outside the building, smoke filled parts of the three-story hospital, triggering a large-scale emergency response.
"We had a fire on the first floor, near the ICU. We dispatched multiple units to this location, and we put the fire out, and then we had multiple evacuations," said Asst. Chief Alfredo Estrada with Montebello fire. "Initially, it was probably the whole hospital, about 44 patients, but we only ended up transporting 12 patients."
Firefighters were able to knock the fire down quickly. They then stayed on scene to clear the building and make sure there were no remaining hot spots.
Now, investigators are working to determine what sparked the fire.
Fire officials said some ICU patients suffered minor smoke inhalation. The emergency room remains closed, while roads around the hospital have reopened.