Update: Fire at the Jamaica Plain campus
PRESS RELEASE
March 20, 2024
BOSTON , MA — There was a fire Tuesday morning, March 19, 2024, near the MRI suite in Building 1B of the Jamaica Plain VA campus.
The fire department responded, evacuating approximately 350 people from affected areas. The fire was extinguished, the fire department cleared the building, and people were being allowed back inside within approximately 45 minutes, with the exception of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging – MRI – suite. There were no reported injuries.
"The safety of our Veterans, visitors and staff is always our top priority," said Vincent Ng, director of VA Boston Healthcare System. "I want to reassure everyone that VA Boston will continue to provide the care our Veterans have earned."
Apart from the MRI suite, all locations at the Jamaica Plain campus have been cleared and returned to normal operations. Veteran patients should expect to be seen in accordance with non-MRI scheduled appointments.
Scheduled MRI appointments are being honored using the research MRI at Jamaica Plain and the Diagnostic Imagery Unit at VA Boston's West Roxbury campus wherever possible. VA Boston will contact the small number of Veterans expected to need rescheduling.
Initial investigation indicates the fire was caused by welding work a contractor was performing around the exterior of the building, near the MRI suite. Damage was mostly limited to the building's exterior cladding and smoke damage inside. There was minimal damage to the MRI itself, which was due to “quenching.”
Quenching is a process that reduces the MRI's magnetic field. Quenching the magnet was necessary so firefighting personnel could safely enter the suite, but it can damage the machine.
Cleaning and restoration work is ongoing, and the MRI suite is expected to return to service sometime next week.
There were reports that some areas in the building didn't hear the fire alarm. While the system has passed recent inspection, VA Boston HCS is revisiting and reinspecting areas of concern, to ensure the continued safety of Veterans and staff.
"I want to thank the Boston Fire Department, VA Police, our staff, and other responders for their prompt and professional action to help keep everyone safe," said Ng.