Washington nursing home fire forces 77 patients to evacuate

A fire at a Washington state nursing home forced patients and staff to seek safety late Wednesday night, according to Montesano Police.

Police say 77 patients and 29 staff members were safely evacuated from the Montesano Health and Rehabilitation Center to local high school gyms.

Police said some patients are still in hospice care at other facilities and hospitals in the area.

The Grays Harbor 911 Center responded to a call from the medical facility and witnesses reporting smoke in the kitchen and flames on the roof around 5:30 p.m.

No injuries are reported, though The Red Cross alongside Disaster Action teams reached out with immediate assistance and emergency support.

Three local fire departments were called for additional assistance to help with evacuation efforts at the nursing home.

Pierce County Fire showed a clip of their response efforts to the nursing home fire on their Twitter account. Firefighters took about 3 hours to contain the blaze

According to their site, the Montesano Health and Rehabilitation Center provides care for patients who are recovering from injuries, surgery, or receiving end of life care.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.