An early-morning fire that caused $50,000 in damages to the downtown Super 8 City Centre has been ruled accidental.
Red Deer Emergency Services fire investigator Josh Mah said the misuse of smoking materials is a possible cause.
Fire crews responded to the fire call at 4217 50th Ave. about 12:37 a.m. on Tuesday. They arrived to smoke billowing out of the hotel.
Thirty-four out of the 84 rooms in the Super 8 were booked and all guests were evacuated to the nearby Red Deer Lodge for the night.
Emergency Services members later escorted guests back to their rooms to pick up their belongings.
One man was taken to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre to be checked out and has since been released.
The fire was confined to one room on the third floor. Two sprinkler heads activated when the fire started and extinguished the fire.
Mah said there was more water damage than actual fire damage to the hotel.
Hotel manager Judy Kruse said restoration crews worked all morning on Tuesday. Kruse said they are waiting to hear the earliest when the hotel could reopen.
“They have to dry out the walls of water damage,” said Kruse. “We’re just playing it by ear.”
Kruse estimated the hotel could open late this week.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com