Fire Breaks Out At Oklahoma City Hotel

Thursday, November 30th 2006, 3:40 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A four-alarm fire broke out at an Oklahoma City hotel late Thursday morning, forcing nearly 70 firefighters to brave freezing temperatures to battle the blaze.

The fire was reported about 11:30 AM Thursday at the Econo Lodge near the intersection of Reno and Meridian avenues, said Deputy Fire Chief Tony Young.

No injuries were reported, but sections of nearby Interstate 40 were temporarily closed because of heavy smoke blowing across the roadway, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Young said two firefighters were briefly engulfed in flames after a roof support collapsed, but avoided injury.

"They made a quick exit down one of the ground ladders and sustained no injuries," Young said.

The building, which was mostly destroyed, housed 34 hotel rooms. Investigators were still working to determine the cause of the blaze.