A FIRE broke early today at Maidstone Hospital at Barming when a waste bin caught alight.

Firefighters were called to the hospital shortly after 2am. One member of the crew said: “We were ready to evacuate. There was smoke in the corridors.”

The fire was in a waste bin in a shower room in the hospital’s Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). Staff moved patients from the MAU on to a nearby ward, according to the hospital’s fire evacuation procedure.

The small fire, which was contained within the shower room, was extinguished with little damage done to the area. Patients were moved back into the unit the same morning.

A spokesman for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said that the cause of the fire would be looked into, although it appeared to have been by accident.

He added: “One patient was taken to A&E suffering from the effects of smoke but was returned to MAU with no ill effects. Staff acted magnificently and their quick response ensured patients were not in any danger.”

The fire may have been caused by a dropped cigarette, according to firefighters.