By forcing the evacuation of several hospitals and clinics, the California fires have put a strain on available medical services, according to an article on the Los Angeles Times website.
As the fire closed in last week, staff evacuated more than 200 patients from Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa and Sutter Santa Rosa Regional hospitals.
Video showed people in scrubs wheeling patients hooked up to IVs out of the Kaiser hospital — with orange flames just feet away.
The hospitals that remain open have been treating the transferred patients, as well as tending to those suffering from severe smoke inhalation or burns.
One company installed air purifiers to try to help with the smoke at three of its dialysis clinics, said Gerry Argue, a division vice president at DaVita.
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