THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997             TAG: 9701090442
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
TYPE: Local Briefs 
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY                    LENGTH:   18 lines

HOSPITAL FIRE

A fire destroyed a cooling tower at Albemarle Hospital around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

No patients or visitors were affected, and there was no damage to hospital buildings.

The cooling tower, a component of the chilled water cooling system for the hospital, was located behind the physical plant.

The fire may have been started by a heating element in the base of the tower. An investigation is continuing, hospital officials said.

KEYWORDS: FIRE