6-Alarm Dallas Hotel Fire Caused By Electrical Short: Officials
By Holley Ford
A six-alarm fire at a hotel in North Dallas Tuesday evening was sparked by an accidental electrical short, investigators said.
More than 120 Dallas firefighters were dispatched to The Grand Hotel, just off Interstate 635 near the Coit Road exit and U.S. 75.
Thick smoke could been seen billowing from one of the buildings at the sprawling three-story hotel, and fire department spokesman Jason Evans said the fire had spread laterally through the open space just beneath the roof.
The six alarms were called in order to try and locate and extinguish all of the fire, Evans said. Much of the damage is near the unit of origin, but there are varying degrees of smoke damage throughout the hotel.
Firefighters rescued two people from a third-story unit by bringing them down an aerial ladder, and a third person — who is in a wheelchair — was rescued from a unit on the first floor, Evans said. The person from the first-floor unit was transported to a hospital for treatment of smoke exposure and is expected to recover.
Dallas Firefighters Battle 6-Alarm Hotel Fire (Raw Video)
Dallas Fire-Rescue crews battle a six-alarm fire at The Grand Hotel off LBJ Freeway in North Dallas. (Published Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016)At least 65 rooms were occupied in the hotel, and the number of tenants displaced is unknown. The American Red Cross has been called to assist those people with shelter.
A firefighter who was overcome by heat was sent to a hospital and later released, authorities said.