Fire crews respond to fire at Howard Johnson Hotel

Firefighters responding to a reported fire at the Howard Johnson Hotel, St. George, Utah, Feb. 15, 2013 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Multiple fire engines and personnel responded to a structure fire call at the Howard Johnson Hotel Friday.

St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said the St. George Fire Department received a call around 12 p.m. from the Howard Johnson Hotel at 1040 South Main St. in St. George. He said a fire started in the attic of a second floor guest room and was triggered by a bathroom exhaust fan. There were isolated flames in the ceiling and firefighters were able to put out the fire and remove burning insulation. Damage to the room has rendered it uninhabitable for the time being, Stoker said.

Only the one room was damaged by the fire, and Stoker said the hotel staff did a good job of evacuating the guests. No injuries were reported among the guests and Stoker said they would be able to return to their rooms.

This isn’t the first time the fire department has been called to the Howard Johnson Hotel for a fire caused by an exhaust fan.

“We’ve had a couple at this hotel and throughout the community,” Stoker said.

The problem with exhaust fans is that dust and lint – which are very flammable – collect around the motor and cause it to overheat, thus sparking a fire.

“It’s a good idea to clean those out,” he said.

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Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.

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