Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Vancouver, WA – Activated sprinkler assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at La Quinta Inn May 8, 2018 viking210 Firefighters responded to a call Saturday afternoon at a hotel, where they found a fire in an empty room. Clark County Fire District 6 responded to the call at 4:11 p.m. at the La Quinta Inn & Suites, 1500 N.E. 134th St., Vancouver. Battalion Chief Bryan Baum said the first responders forced entry into the ground room floor after a hotel employee said there might be guests in that room. When the firefighters entered, there were no guests, but there was a fire, which heated up and set off the sprinkler system. The firefighters put out the fire in less than 10 minutes, Baum said, adding there was some water damage and smoke damage in the room. Vancouver Fire Department assisted on the call. He added that while the fire is currently under investigation, it could’ve been the air conditioning unit that started it. The curtains near the air conditioner were burned, as was the unit itself. There were no injuries from the fire, and the damage was primarily contained to the room with the fire, although Baum said there might’ve been some water damage in the hallway near the room. The hotel was evacuated during the fire. Baum said that as of an hour after the fire, the guests from that room still hadn’t returned to the hotel, and the firefighters gave their personal belongings to the hotel staff at the front desk.
