Doctor reacts to fire at Desert Hot Springs medical facility

“Its very heart wrenching right now because this is the first clinic that I have worked for," said Dr. Clayton Barbour. "When I came to Borrego Health nine years ago.”

Dr. Clayton Barbour calls Borrego Health home. After hearing the news about the Saturday night fire at the Desert Hot Springs medical facility he serves, he decided to take a look at the damages himself. 

According to Dr. Barbour, the clinic was providing drive-up coronavirus testing during the week. He explains to News Channel 3 what could have been impacted from the blaze.

“Unfortunately a lot of our supplies for PPE were in this back room because we could have patients drive up and we do their testing here,"said Dr. Barbour. "So a lot of the gowns, masks, gloves were all camped in this back area so there was some damage to that material.”

Dr. Barbour said he has not been inside the medical center yet to see the total amount of damages but his office manager and staff were on site Saturday night after the fire broke out to transfer medical supplies.

“Vaccines, medications that were refrigerated." said Dr. Barbour. "In fear that the electricity would go off so it was transferred to our sister clinic on the main campus which is four blocks from here."

According to CAL FIRE  Battalion Chief Michael Martinez, Borrego Health was the one business affected by the fire and will remain closed until repairs are made. Early indications from CAL FIRE are the fire started in the attic of the building or from a pillar on the northeast corner of the multi-unit strip mall. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Raquel Medieros, who works at a neighboring medical office, said no one got hurt.

“Something that affects our neighbors affects all of us so we are hoping for the best," said Medieros.