Pismo Beach hotel guests evacuated after 2 early morning fires damage rooms
While coastal hotels often decorate with palm trees to make guests feel like they’re in a tropical paradise — the trees can also be a fire hazard.
Two separate fires burned through The Grove at Pismo Beach early Wednesday morning, damaging 15 hotel rooms, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Toni Davis.
Cal Fire received a call for help at 3:36 a.m. when a palm tree in the middle, outdoor pathway caught fire, while a separate fire burned in the back right section of the hotel, Davis said. The palm tree fire started in a room before spreading to the tree, a Cal Fire captain at the scene told The Tribune.
The hotel was evacuated and no one was injured, she said.
Cal Fire, the Five Cities Fire Authority and the Pismo Beach Fire Department brought 12 fire engines and a water tender to the scene to battle the blaze. The agencies contained the fire by 4:33 a.m., Davis said.
As of 9:30 a.m., firefighters remained on the scene for cleanup efforts, she said.
Two hotel rooms sustained significant damage, while 13 others experienced limited damage from smoke and hot spots, Davis said.
The hotel will be closed until construction is completed, she said.
Hotel management on Wednesday told The Tribune they were unsure when they would be able to reopen. They declined to give further comment on the fire at this time.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This story was originally published June 19, 2024 at 10:04 AM.
