Fire Crews Battle Blaze At Garland Motel
GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) - A motel fire in Garland late Tuesday night forced some of the guests to find a new place to stay. The incident happened just before midnight at a Travel Inn located in the 2400 block of Garland Avenue.
The flames have been put out, but firefighters had a hard time battling this blaze because of the building's roof construction. There is an original flat roof on the building, but then a second roof was added on top of the original. The fire was burning in that space between the two roof layers.
"The fire is traveling down that second roof, the length of the building," detailed an official with the Garland Fire Department. The electricity to the building was shut off while crews battled the flames. Emergency officials are still on the scene to ensure that nothing starts to flame up again. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The fire impacted 13 units of the motel, and displaced 24 people. Those who were staying in the motel typically pay by the week or the month for an extended stay. Resident Landen Wells lost everything he owns in the fire. "If I'd have put it out – I got some flour – too late," he said. "We had to get them out of there, all these people got to get out."
Three people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Nobody needed to be taken to the hospital for additional treatment.
There is a lot of cleanup work to be done before anyone can move back to the motel. The American Red Cross was on the scene early Wednesday morning to find a new location for the displaced guests to stay.
