9 Injured in Fire at Downtown Hotel
Nine people were treated for smoke inhalation Friday night after a fire at the downtown Maryland Hotel at 630 F St., Battalion Chief Richard Jacobs said.
The hotel had 201 residents, most of them retired, a desk clerk said.
Fire Capt. Al MacDonald said the fire started when a resident of Room 511 lit a cigarette, the match accidentally fell on his bed and he turned his back. When he turned back, the bed was in flames, MacDonald said.
Jacobs said the fourth through sixth floors were evacuated.
Firefighters rushed 20 trucks to the hotel and extinguished the blaze at 9:52--within 10 minutes of the time it was reported, Jacobs said. Heavy smoke on the upper floors forced the evacuation.
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