Five Alarm Fire Guts OKC Hotel
A five-alarm fire gutted part of an Oklahoma City hotel Thursday. Fire investigators believe they know the cause.<br><br>Fire investigators believed a toddler playing with matches or a lighter ignitedThursday, March 21st 2002, 12:00 am
By:
News On 6
A five-alarm fire gutted part of an Oklahoma City hotel Thursday. Fire investigators believe they know the cause.
Fire investigators believed a toddler playing with matches or a lighter ignited the blaze that's left the top floor of the Lexington Hotel and Suites a burned out skeleton. Now those investigators are confirming that is how the fire started.
When firefighters got on the scene just after 10:30 Thursday morning, flames were shooting from the roof. Today's strong winds stoked the fire. It spread quickly through the attic, ultimately resulting in the fire going 5-alarm.
There was a definant strategy in attacking the blaze. Firefighters tore into the ceiling and shot water into the attic. Though the damage was significant, it could have been much worse. And though everyone inside the hotel was able to get out safely.
Brian Stanaland, Oklahoma City Fire Department: "They were pulling down some stucco ceiling. Some of that stucco ceiling fell on about 8 of our firefighters. They were momentarily trapped. It was just a matter of seconds before they were able to be freed. Some very tense moments, fortunately none of them were injured."
Major Stanaland did tell us that 2 firefighters suffered very minor burns. One on his face, the other on his neck. Another firefighter did become ill from the smell of something burning in the hotel. Hazmat was called onto the scene. But it was determined that the fumes were from PVC piping.
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