Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Gastonia, NC – Guest and staff safe after sprinkler system helps contain hotel kitchen fire November 2, 2016 viking210 A small kitchen fire activated the sprinkler system at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel early Sunday morning and all 300 guests had to leave their rooms temporarily, according to fire officials. The 6:42 a.m. fire did not cause any injuries at the hotel on Remount Road, according to officials. “There was a small fire in the kitchen that activated the sprinkler system,” said Chris Stowe, a spokesman with Gastonia Fire Department. About 20 firefighters responded because of the size of the building and number of people involved. The fire was put out in about 10 minutes. The hotel has 130 rooms and approximately 300 guests were put out of their rooms in the early morning hours, said Olivia Popplewell, general manager of Courtyard by Marriott. “All of our guests are safe. All of our employees are safe,” Popplewell said. Guests were allowed to start returning to their rooms around 7:20 a.m. The hotel was even able to serve a continental breakfast of fruit and yogurt to guests, Popplewell said. There was a little water damage to the kitchen area, but business was back to normal soon afterward, Popplewell said.
