Category Archives: Hotel / Motel

Ocala, FL – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hotel

A 16-year-old girl has been arrested after setting a couch on fire at a hotel and causing guests to be evacuated early in the morning following a fight with her mother, police say.

Ocala Fire Rescue in Ocala, Florida — located some 80 miles northwest of Orlando — received a call Tuesday at approximately 3:24 a.m. to reports of a structure fire at the Hilton Ocala hotel located on 3600 SW 36th Ave.

“Units arrived at the nine-story hotel to find audible and visual alarms, an active sprinkler system, and Ocala Police Department members assisting guests in evacuating the premises,” Ocala Fire Rescue said in a statement on social media.

Firefighters encountered “moderate smoke” as they entered the lobby of the hotel and began to make their way down a first-floor hallway near the banquet rooms to try and find the source of the fire which was worsening as they approached, authorities said.

“Using a thermal imaging camera, crews located the seat of the fire,” Ocala Fire Rescue said. “In conjunction with the sprinkler system, crews used a water can to smother the flames, which consumed a couch and scorched an adjacent wall.”

The fire was extinguished entirely within seven minutes of arrival, officials said, but given the deliberate nature of the blaze, the Ocala Police Department treated the fire as arson.

Following a brief investigation, Ocala Police ended up arresting a 16-year-old girl who was visiting from Peoria, Illinois. Police said she allegedly started the fire after fighting with her mother, though authorities did not say what caused the fight and what could have led her to allegedly set a sofa on fire in the building because of it.

“The damage to the hotel is estimated to be a couple hundred thousand dollars,” Ocala Police said. “Thankfully, no one was injured … and hotel guests were able to return to their rooms the same morning.”

Authorities credited an effective evacuation plan carried out by hotel staff in the early hours of the morning for helping to keep the situation under control and the estimated 320 guests safe.

The teenage girl has been charged with arson and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Great Falls, MT – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Great Falls Fire Rescue responded to a small fire at the Sleep Inn & Mainstay Suites at 520 Country Club Boulevard on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

Assistant Fire Chief Mike McIntosh said in a news release that GFFR received a water flow alarm at 9:25pm, and Engine 4 arrived at the scene at 9:32pm.

Firefighters saw people vacating the hotel, but they did not see any visible smoke or fire.

Firefighters discovered that a small fire occurred in room 318. The fire started in a nightstand located next to a bed, which was close to an exterior wall.

The fire had generated enough heat to activate the building’s fire sprinkler system, which functioned as designed, and quickly extinguished the fire.

The fire damage to the room was minimal, but there was significant water damage to the second and third floors.

Hotel management was able to move the majority of guests affected by the water from the sprinkler system to other rooms within the hotel; one guest was relocated to another hotel.

There were no injuries as a result of the fire, and restoration crews are are continuing to assess the damage.

The occupant of room 318 could not be located when GFFR and Great Falls police officers were at the scene of the fire. They have tried to contact the room occupant, but have not yet been successful.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated. We will update you if we get more information.

Alton, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire in hotel room; No injuries reported

Firefighters were called to the Best Western Premier hotel at 3559 College Ave. in Alton at 9:18 p.m. Friday for a one-room fire.

According to authorities, a fire in the couch of an unoccupied room set off the hotel’s sprinkler system, which extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived. The hotel immediately evacuated more than 100 people including those who had gathered for a function in a meeting room and a 10-year-old’s birthday pool party.

Tired guests wanting to sleep stood and sat outside of the hotel on all four sides. Firefighters scrambled to shut off the sprinkler system as water poured out of the room and into the first floor hallway.

The room was reported to have been heavily damaged. Fire department officials on Friday night said they had not determined how the fire started in the unoccupied room.

Firefighters made sure the fire was completely out before guests were allowed back in the hotel at 10:01 p.m.

The night wasn’t a complete disappointment, as firefighters let the birthday girl and her guests sit in a fire truck before they left.

The cause of the fire is under investigation; no injuries were reported.

Grand Chute, WI – Sprinkler system activated for laundry room fire at hotel; No injuries reported

The Hampton Inn in Grand Chute was evacuated Saturday after a first-floor laundry room caught fire.

According to a release from the Grand Chute Fire Department, crews were dispatched to the scene after an employee found a fire located in the hotel’s main laundry room.

The fire was being controlled by the building’s automatic sprinkler system. Fire crews from GCFD and the City of Appleton and Village of Fox Crossing Fire units worked to locate and extinguish the remaining pocked of fire.

Despite being contained to a small area of the hotel, smoke extended to all floors and the building was evacuated as a precaution. Personnel remained on scene for several hours ventilating the building to remove the smoke and overhauling the fire area to ensure the safety of the hotel’s guests and staff.

There were no injuries reported and fire investigators are continuing to determine the cause of the fire.

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system contains fire at hotel; No injuries reported

The Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire at Hampton In Hotel on Meeting St. Wednesday afternoon.

Charleston Police officials said the call came in at 12:54 p.m.

Crews have gotten the fire under control and ventilated the building.

Investigators are on the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

CFD says the fire sprinkler system was activated to contain the fire. No injuries were reported.

Chillicothe, MO – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at Comfort Inn and Suites; No injuries reported

A fire Saturday morning at Comfort Inn and Suites in Chillicothe was contained to one room, although there was smoke and water damage to a hallway and several other rooms.

Chillicothe Fire Chief Eric Reeter said a sprinkler system extinguished the blaze after a maintenance crew in the hotel attempted to use a fire extinguisher but were not successful.

While firefighters were en route to the blaze, the police department advised officers were on the scene, stating there was a fire in room 304. Officers had evacuated occupants from the building by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported.

Chillicothe firefighters were on the scene for nearly two and one-half hours. An investigation was underway by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s office.

Comfort Inn and Suites is located at 250 East Business Highway 36 in Chillicothe.

Rochester, MN – Cooktop fire in hotel room extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A cooktop fire in a hotel room Wednesday morning caused fire and water damage from the sprinkler system.

At 6:48 a.m., the Rochester Fire Department responded to a structure fire call at the Days Inn Hotel at 3595 Commercial Drive Southwest. Firefighters on scene found smoke coming from a third story window in the back of the building.

The hotel has an automatic fire sprinkler system, which extinguished the fire in the third floor hotel room by the time firefighters arrived, according to the fire department’s press release. No occupants were found in the room or adjacent rooms.

The sprinkler system limited the fire damage to only the room of origin. An investigation determined that the fire started on a cooktop range. The department said the occupant of the room left the hotel and possibly left a burner on the stove.

Guests were evacuated from the hotel when crews arrived. No injuries were reported.

Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service and Rochester Police Department also responded to the fire.

Colorado Springs, CO – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Monday, September 5th, the Colorado Springs Fire Department responded to a fire at Intown Suites located off I-25 at 6210 Corporate Dr.

The fire was called in at approximately 12:00 PM and CSFD responded with a limited amount of units to the scene.

CSFD was able to get the fire under control and quickly put it out due to the building’s sprinkler system keeping the fire in check until firefighters got there.

There were no injuries reported and the reason for the fire is still being investigated at this time.

Idaho Falls, ID – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported

The Idaho Falls Fire Department is on scene of a fire at the Hilton Garden Inn at 700 Lindsay Boulevard in Idaho Falls.

The department says the call came in at 4:47 p.m. stating there was a fire on the 4th floor. Officials say the fire is out now.

The sprinkler system activate and hotel guests were evacuated.

The fire was contained to one room. Firefighters are clearing the smoke out and checking rooms to make sure there was no extension of the fire.

There have been no injuries reported.

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for cooking fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A hotel resident fell asleep after cooking in their room early Monday morning.

The Houston Fire Department arrived near Highway 290 and Pinemont Drive around 1:15 a.m. on Houston’s Northwest side.

Authorities arrived to the hotel and found a fire with heavy smoke on the third floor. The Houston Fire Department evacuated the entire hotel and were able to put the fire out with no injuries reported.

The Houston Fire Department says that after investigating, they found out that a resident was cooking in their room and fell asleep. That’s when the food and stove caught fire and the hotel sprinkler system went off. The sprinklers had flooded all three floors and due to the damage, the hotel was having to find other places for the residents to stay.