Louetta, TX – Early morning fire at Comfort Suites motel limited by sprinkler system

The fire broke out about 3:30 a.m. at the Comfort Suites motel on Highway 249 near Louetta, said Ricky Bange of the Klein Fire Department. Bange said when firefighters arrived guests were evacuated and the building was searched to make sure everyone got out safely. He said firefighters found the blaze had erupted in a third-floor room. The motel’s sprinkler system had doused the flames. But smoke lingered in the building. The fire did not spread to any other parts of the motel.

The guest who was staying in the room were the fire began was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The person’s condition was not released. Bange said investigators determined the fire started in the room’s air-conditioning unit.

It was a hectic morning for guests. One hotel patron, Carl Wiedenfeld, said he was asleep in his third-floor room when he woke to the blaring fire alarm. Then his friend who was also staying at the motel called him on the telephone and told him about the fire.

Wiedenfeld, of Port Arthur, said he opened his door to leave his room but smoke filled the hallway. He closed the door, soaked a towel in water and pressed to his face like a gas mask. Then he dashed into the smokey hallway, hurried to the fire escape and safely got outside. In town on business, he appeared unfazed and philosophical about the ordeal as he stood outside the building.

“It’s not your normal hotel stay,” Wiedenfeld said.