Fire breaks out in utility closet in Juneau’s Bartlett hospital

Published 5:43 pm Thursday, April 16, 2026

A fire broke out inside a utility closet in Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital Thursday afternoon.

Bartlett Regional Hospital says the fire started around 1:46 p.m. on April 16 in a utility closet in the hospital’s surgical services unit after a hospital worker accidentally cut into electrical heat tape, according to a release from the hospital. A Code Red alert was issued.

Hospital maintenance staff quickly responded and Capital City Fire Rescue contained the fire.

Surgical services patients and staff were immediately evacuated from the building, the release adds. As an additional safety precaution, all hospital patients, staff and visitors were evacuated, but they were quickly brought back into the hospital. Outpatient units were also evacuated and canceled for the remainder of the day.

The release says the “all clear” for the Code Red alert was issued at 3:40 p.m.

Evaluation of the damage within the surgical services unit is ongoing.

The release says that the hospital worker who cut into the electrical heat tape was treated and released from the emergency department. No other patients, staff or visitors were injured.

Elective surgeries scheduled for Friday, April 17 are canceled. All other hospital services are open.