$450,000 Motel Fire in Santa Ana

Eight firefighters were slightly injured early this morning while battling a fire that gutted six rooms at the Royal Roman Motel and forced a handful of guests and workers into the street, fire officials said. The fire caused an estimated $450,000 in damage.

The fire, which was reported at 4:15 a.m. today, took four dozen firefighters about two hours to put out, said Santa Ana Fire Department spokeswoman Sharon Frank.

While the blaze was largely confined to six units of the 47-room motel in the 1500 block of East First Street, six other units suffered light to moderate smoke and water damage, Frank said.

The cause of the blaze, which broke out in an upstairs unit of the two-story motel, was unknown.

Frank said an investigation was ongoing, but declined to say whether fire investigators suspected arson.

“We’re required by law to investigate all fires,” Frank said. “That certainly does not mean we suspect it was arson. (An) accidental (spark) was as great a possibility as anything.”

Firefighters first responding to the call spotted heavy smoke and flames pouring out of a single room, Frank said. The fire then quickly spread to adjoining rooms, and began burning inside a common attic.

Frank said 30 of the units were rented for the night, but she did not know how many people were inside their rooms when the fire broke out. She also did not immediately know if any of the rooms that were destroyed were occupied.

Shortly after the fire broke out, a portion of an overhanging roof collapsed on two firefighters who were standing on the upstairs walkway that connected the units.

One of the firefighters, who received first- and second-degree burns on his ears and neck, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with a second firefighter who was suffering from smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

The pair were treated and released, Frank said.

Five other firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, she added.