EconoLodge damaged by fire

Published 12:06 am Friday, November 4, 2016

One of three wings of a motel near the Rocky Face exit of Interstate 75 was severely damaged in an overnight fire that crews battled into Thursday morning. No one was injured.

The fire caused major structural damage on the western wing of the EconoLodge, sending overnight guests scurrying from their rooms. Dalton Fire Department Chief Bruce Satterfield said at one point 29 members of the department were working on the fire, along with assistance from the Dalton Police Department to secure the rooms of guests who were forced to evacuate.

Satterfield said the call reporting the fire came in shortly after midnight, and by the time firefighters reached the scene at 1507 N. Tibbs Road the fire that began on the exterior of the first floor had climbed up the facing of the building and moved into the attic space. He said investigators were still processing the scene looking for a cause.

“Right now, it is still under investigation, and we are still trying to rule things down as far as exactly what the cause was,” Satterfield said. “We know it started on the exterior and went all the way up into the attic. There were no injuries, and that is the big worry in an attic fire because someone could have been in a room adjacent and maybe not even known what was happening because the fire was spreading in the attic.”

Satterfield said the room where the fire began and the room directly above as well as adjacent rooms suffered extensive fire and water damage. He said because the fire had moved to the attic, all rooms on the top floor would have smoke and water damage even if they didn’t have any flames in the rooms. Also, all of the rooms on the bottom floor of the building would likely have extensive water damage.

“The roof is still on the building, but there is extensive structural damage,” Satterfield said.

Messages left for the owner of the EconoLodge were not immediately returned on Thursday.

“The hotel did a great job,” Satterfield said. “They had 16 or so rooms not rented, and were able to put them up. One or two they didn’t have a room, and they got them a room somewhere else. Everyone had a place to stay.”