Two-Alarm Blaze Engulfs Motel in Kentucky, Killing 3
Guests took refuge in bathtubs and frantically dialed 911 from their rooms as flames engulfed a Howard Johnson motel early Saturday, killing three people.
Firefighters raced from room to room at the motel in Bowling Green, carrying guests out on their shoulders and going back for more.
The heat and smoke trapped as many as 50 of the 75 guests in their rooms, which faced a central lobby and swimming pool. Officials said the fire apparently started somewhere in the middle of the motel.
The cause of the two-alarm fire was still under investigation. Officials said the motel was equipped with a sprinkler system in hallways but not in guest rooms, and with smoke alarms.
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