Woman Is Seriously Hurt in Hotel Fire
A 33-year-old woman was in critical condition after suffering severe burns in an Ocean Beach hotel fire early Saturday morning, the San Diego Fire Department reported.
The fire, which began shortly after 6 a.m., forced residents of nearly 30 units to evacuate the two-story Hotel Newport on Newport Avenue, said Larry Cooke, a Fire Department spokesman. Several people suffered minor injuries when they jumped from second-floor windows to escape the blaze.
Firefighters rescued Sabrina Young from a burning room on the ground floor of the hotel. She was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, Cooke said.
Four people who suffered from smoke inhalation were treated at the medical center and other nearby hospitals and were released.
The fire started when a cigarette ignited bedding, said Criss Brainard, an investigator with the Metro Arson Strike team.
“This could have been a far worse fire if it hadn’t been for the smoke alarms,” Brainard said.
Cooke said 26 firefighters responded to the fire, which gutted one room and caused an estimated $10,000 in structural damage. He said there was also a loss of about $10,000 in personal belongings.
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