How Lake of the Woods District Hospital is coping with 'significant loss' after fire at laundry facility

An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of a fire early Wednesday morning that resulted in significant damage to the laundry facility at Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH).

On Friday a spokesperson for the hospital told CBC Thunder Bay that insurance adjusters have visited the site and the building, which is located on the same property but not attached to the main hospital building, has been secured.

"As of right now we are not able to use any of the facility. Our laundry team can work part-time out of Pinecrest Home to do laundry — a significant reduction in capacity from our facility," Charlene Kissick said.

"New linens have been ordered and are expected to arrive next week and our team is trying to figure out suitable laundry sorting stations and a portable structure and equipment."

'Significant damage' 

According to Kissick, the fire, which began around 1:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday, "destroyed" the hospital's laundry truck. It also damaged laundry equipment and linens before it was contained and extinguished by Kenora Fire & Emergency Services with help from Ontario Provincial Police.

"That building is where all of our laundry services take place, so it was a significant loss because there's significant damage not only to the building but to the laundry truck and the equipment. All of our laundry machines and the linen were in the building," Kissick told CBC News on the morning of the fire.

No one was injured in the fire, Kissick said, and an exact estimate of the damage had not been determined as of Wednesday.

Community partners rally to help

Kissick said the team at Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care Home and Pinecrest Home have stepped in to assist with laundry services — use of machines and extra linens — immediately after the fire.

She said it's "incredibly generous of our partners to offer this to keep us going."

"It warms your heart. It's such a difficult time, but it's times like this we really can see how wonderful our community is," she said.

 CBC News has reached out to the Ontario Ministry of Health for comment.