Firesteel staff acted appropriately Sunday night, says fire marshal

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Staff at Firesteel Health Care Center did an “excellent” job in responding to a perceived fire at the care facility Sunday night, according to Mitchell Fire Marshal Marius Laursen.

Firesteel, located at 1120 E. Seventh Ave., was evacuated at 7:12 p.m. Sunday. An “all-clear” was declared at 8:12 p.m.

“The head of nursing smelled smoke and thought she detected it in the air, so she pulled the alarm,” Laursen said Monday afternoon after conducting an inspection of the facility.

“As far as I’m concerned, they did an excellent job exiting and taking care of things,” he said.

“They’re back online and 100 percent compliant as far as I’m concerned.”

Following its fire drill procedure, Firesteel staff members took about 20 east wing residents in wheelchairs briefly to the south parking lot and later took them to the facility’s west wing dining area where staff had moved other residents while firefighters inspected residential wings, according to a facility supervisor.

No fire was discovered. Mitchell firefighters speculated a controlled burn south of the city may have sent smoke into Firesteel.

The nursing facility has 145 residents.

None was injured in the brief evacuation.

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