A small roof fire over the lobby of the Cambridge Hotel & Conference Centre was quickly knocked down by firefighters early Friday morning.
“Upon arrival there was a heavy plume of smoke from the roof of the lobby area. Fast action by the crews contained the fire to the point of origin,” said Jon Evans, assistant deputy chief of operations for Red Deer Emergency Services.
He said a fire crew initially responded to a fire alarm at about 2:30 a.m. and more crews were called in.
Forty-five out of about 240 suites in the 14-storey hotel were occupied and guests were evacuated to the conference centre on the west side of the building. They were displaced for about three hours.
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Suites in the hotel tower were not affected. Smoke from the fire did not impact the interior of the building.
He said the investigation into the fire was complete. The fire was the result of work that had been underway on the roof in recent days. The point of origin was at one of the rooftop heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units.
A damage estimate was not available but repairs were not expected to be costly. Elevators and fire safety systems were restored to working order.
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Evans reminded people that they should be aware of fire escape routes wherever they are staying. Hotels have plans on the back of suite doors and near elevators.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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