Fire causes evacuation of Costa Mesa motel

Guests were evacuated from a Costa Mesa motel Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in a second-floor room, according to the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department.

Firefighters arrived at the Ana Mesa Inn in the 3500 block of Harbor Boulevard just after 5:20 a.m., department spokesman Joe Noceti said.

The fire, which was confined to one room, was extinguished in about eight minutes, the department said. It caused smoke damage to the unit above it, Noceti said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fifty to 75 patrons were evacuated. No guests or pets were injured, but as a precaution, three police officers were taken to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach for treatment of smoke inhalation and were later discharged, Noceti said.

The evacuation will be in effect until building inspectors and arson investigators determine whether the building is safe, the fire department said. It’s unclear whether any guests will be displaced.

Southbound lanes of Harbor Boulevard were shut down near MacArthur Boulevard for about an hour because of the fire.