Image credit: Kerry Stevens

By Marty Hastings

MOTEL FIRE

‘They are lucky as heck to get out alive,’ – fire at Hospitality Inn

Jul 13, 2024 | 10:41 AM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops Fire Rescue fire investigator Ryan Nield said two occupants of the Hospitality Inn (500 Columbia St. W) were lucky to escape from their room alive early Saturday morning in the motel.

“They woke up to fire and flames and got out just at the right time and preceded to knock on all the other doors and everyone else got out,” said Nield, noting cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

“Smoke inhalation could have very easily taken their lives. Fire was rolling over the ceiling. They are lucky as heck to get out alive. The other occupants – also lucky.”

No one was seriously injured, said Nield, who noted the two occupants in whose room the fire appears to have started may suffer from mild smoke inhalation.

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Nield stood outside the motel — which was charred and reeked of fire and smoke damage as of 9 a.m. on Saturday — and told CFJC Today the blaze started inside one of the rooms before spreading.

“Three [motel] units are pretty much going to be gut jobs, probably total losses,” Nield said.

Nield said quick response from KFR was critical and photos submitted to CFJC Today show Kamloops RCMP was also on scene of the fire, which was reported at 3:49 a.m. on Saturday, according to KFR platoon captain Sheldon Guertin.

Image Credit: Contributed

Four apparatus (firefighting vehicles), 14 firefighters and a duty chief responded to the call, according to Guertin, who noted two rooms were damaged by fire and two more by smoke.

A vehicle outside of one of the rooms appears to have suffered extensive damage.

“It looks to me it caught on fire as an exposure,” Nield said. “So the fire started in the motel and radiant heat would have caught the car on fire. The front part of the car is damaged pretty heavily.

“It could have been way worse.”

Image Credit: Contributed