Hotel fire forces evacuation of guests
February 4, 2007

YORK, Maine --Investigators were trying to pinpoint the cause of a fire that forced the evacuation of guests from a hotel in York Harbor.

No injuries were reported in the Saturday afternoon fire at the Stage Neck Inn, which began in a utility duct near commercial dryers.

Fire Chief Chris Balentine said 12 to 15 rooms were occupied and everyone was evacuated safely. The fire was brought under control within 90 minutes. The guests were permitted to return to their rooms to fetch their belongings but had to find other lodging.

Fire damage was estimated at $50,000.

Statement from Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
NEW YORK-February 7, 2007 -

Early Wednesday morning a burst water pipe caused a small electrical fire on a lower, non-guest floor of the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers. The fire in an electrical closet created smoke on several floors of the hotel. The hotel and New York City Fire Department responded immediately, and the electrical fire was quickly resolved about 4:30 a.m. Guests were never in danger and there were no injuries. Contrary to some early news reports, no evacuation was required and at no time were any guests required to leave the hotel.

The hotel's fire alarms activated and the public address and hotel voicemail systems were used to inform guests of the problem and request that they remain in their rooms. Power is currently turned off on lower floors as electricians make repairs and the hotel hopes to have it restored this afternoon. One bank of elevators was temporarily out of service but service was restored by 8:30 a.m.

While never a safety threat, the incident was an inconvenience to many guests, especially given the early morning hour. In an effort to reassure guests and provide comfort, the hotel's management team was in the lobby all morning to answer questions and address any concerns. In addition, the hotel has waived charges for Tuesday night's stay and all guests were offered free breakfast in the hotel.

The 50-story, 1750-room hotel was fully occupied. Initially, only about a half-dozen guests needed to be re-accommodated to other area Starwood hotels.

Seekonk hotel fire blamed on bad wiring

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 1:01 AM EST

SEEKONK - Faulty wiring has been determined to be the cause of the four-alarm, late night fire Saturday that injured four people and displaced dozens from the Ramada Inn on Fall River Avenue.

Fire officials traced the cause of the blaze to wiring, Fire Capt. Michael Healy said Tuesday. The hotel remains closed, Healy said.
A woman who had been in the hotel told The Sun Chronicle Saturday night she was blow-drying her daughter's hair when a spark came from the wall and ignited a mattress in the first floor room.

Two firefighters and two others suffered minor injuries, but only one of the civilians who suffered smoke inhalation, was taken to a hospital.

Damage was contained to two rooms, and fire officials had no estimate of damage Tuesday.

The fire displaced wedding guests and several dozen cheerleaders who were attending a competition in Providence. The cheerleaders' uniforms were damaged in the fire, but donations helped them make it to the event

Fire in Las Vegas Strip hotel service cart causes minor damage

LAS VEGAS - Fire sprinklers helped douse a service cart fire that sent smoke into a service elevator shaft at a Las Vegas Strip hotel and prompted the evacuation of several hotel guests, officials said Monday.

No injuries were reported and damage at the Harrah's hotel-casino was described as minor after the 8:45 p.m. Sunday fire in a sixth floor housekeeping service lobby of the 15-floor Mardi Gras tower.

Fire sprinklers activated and guests were evacuated from several rooms on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors due to smoke, said Clark County fire spokesman Scott Allison said. He said the cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday.

Hotel spokeswoman Deborah Munch said Monday that about 40 people were evacuated from nearby rooms for about 90 minutes. The hotel has 2,575 rooms.