No one hurt in fire at Farmington Hills hotel
November 14, 2007

The cause of a fire at a Farmington Hills hotel this morning is under investigation and authorities say it could be suspicious.

Firefighters were called to the Comfort Inn at 12 Mile and Orchard Lake roads at about 7:15 a.m., said Lt. Denny Hughes of the Farmington Hills Fire Department. Sprinkler systems in the hotel had extinguished the fire and no one was injured.

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Firefighters say they believe the fire started in a cardboard box containing a bathtub and other items in the first-floor hall, Hughes said.

About 100 people were evacuated from the hotel. A hotel guest who was attending a business meeting saw smoke and flames before pulling the fire alarm, Hughes said.

“The built-in fire protection system was definitely a savior,” he said. “It potentially saved lives and it definitely saved property.”

Fire investigators were still at the scene this morning, Hughes said.

Investigators Look for Clues After Hotel Fire

Posted: Nov 14, 2007 09:46 AM

WAIKIKI (KHNL) - A fire breaks out at a Waikiki hotel, leaving one firefighter injured, and a woman in serious condition.

Home video captures flames spewing out of Royal Kuhio Hotel and Condo, forcing people to evacuate. One evacuee also took video of the fire shortly after he escaped.

"Got to the bottom and there was fire falling out of the building on top of us, so I ran over across the street and starting taking pictures," said Bruce Faber, occupant.

A firefighter suffered a broken finger, and one woman was rushed to the hospital. Paramedics say she suffered breathing problems after going down 23 flights of stairs. Some say they had to run down 30 flights of stairs.

"Maybe about midway to the 18th, 19th floor I started to see some orange flashing flames in the hallway, and as I got down closer to the 7th floor, I did smell more smoke," said Sharon Holub, tenant.

The 7th floor is where investigators say the fire may have started. There's an open construction area there, with five-gallon containers. Hazmat was called to check what was inside the containers, to make sure there were no hazardous chemicals. Firefighters brought flames under control within 20 minutes. Although some were shaken when the fire broke out...

"I could hear some people they felt they were panicking a little bit, they were getting nervous," said Holub.

Most returned back into the building within an hour, unharmed.

Investigators are still working to find the cause of the fire.