Emergency Crews Battle Early Morning Motel Fire
GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - Just a few hours before sunrise Monday, firefighters were called out to a fire at a Grand Prairie motel.
The 2-alarm fire happened at the Budget Suites, along Highway 360 and Post and Paddock.
The emergency fire call was received just before 4:30 a.m. According to Battalion Chief Bill Murphy, with the Grand Prairie Fire Department, heavy smoke was billowing from one unit when crews arrived.
Firefighters had to help an elderly woman out of the building. She was taken to an area hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. Her condition isn't known.
Nearby rooms were evacuated, but emergency crews were able to contain the fire to one unit.
Fire officials say the sprinkler system was a the 'saving grace' of the blaze. "It kept the fire to the room of origin. The fire alarm alerted all the occupants and without that we're probably talking a different story," explained fire Chief Robert Fite.
An exact cause of the fire hasn't been determined.
