Discarded Cigarette Sparked $7 Million Lincoln Hotel Fire, Triggering Smoke Explosion
Updated
Updated · KOLN · Jun 16
Discarded Cigarette Sparked $7 Million Lincoln Hotel Fire, Triggering Smoke Explosion
3 articles · Updated · KOLN · Jun 16
Summary
Lincoln Fire and Rescue said an improperly discarded cigarette caused the blaze that destroyed the Fairfield Inn & Suites in north Lincoln, where 30 rooms had been reserved for Monday night.
Investigators said the cigarette ignited nearby vegetation, and smoke moved up a wall void into the attic before a smoke explosion erupted.
Firefighters reached the hotel around 6:50 p.m. to find visible flames, searched all three floors, then switched to a defensive attack when the roof began collapsing.
No injuries were reported after a passerby spotted a small exterior fire, alerted 911 and notified the manager, who pulled the alarm and helped evacuate the building.
The hotel was declared a total loss—valued at $7 million before contents—as the second and third floors collapsed into the first floor.