Motel burns
Guests forced to evacuate Americas Best

A firefighter sits on top of his truck and sprays water toward the growing fire Saturday afternoon at Americas Best Value Inn & Suites. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Staff Writer

A firefighter runs to a firetruck on Saturday afternoon at Americas Best Value Inn & Suites on Highway 66 as a fire fueled by strong winds rips through the pool and sauna house at the inn. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

GALLUP — Fortunately for Americas Best Value Inn and Suites, history didn't repeat itself.

But the newly remodeled hotel did suffer some damage when it's pool house went up in flames on Saturday.

Gallup Fire Department Capt. James Herrera said that the alarm came in around 3:05 p.m. Saturday.

Three general alarms also called in the county's fire departments, he said.

Officers on the scene were able to get the fire under control at around 3:45 p.m. and were still on the scene by late Saturday to watch for flare-ups.

According to Herrera, the fire started in the hotel's sauna and broke through the roof of the pool house. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

While officers were able to contain the fire to the pool house, damage was done to the adjacent buildings.

"Radiant heat caused some damage, but nothing structural," said Cmdr. Brent Mowrer .

The fire shut down the hotel and its patrons were temporarily moved to nearby hotels.

The hotel offers both long-term and short-term stays.

Shawn and Stephanie Manson have been staying there for the past month.

Their hotel room looks into the pool house.

Both were out at the time and came back to see the area blocked off.

Shawn Manson works at Giant Refinery and said he just got paid. His cash was in the room.

"We need a place to stay tonight," he said as he and his wife watched the fire crews work.

Charles Burke, a traveling radio technologist who completed a stint at Gallup Indian Medical Center, said he'd been staying at the hotel for the past three months.

Fire alarms did not go off, he said, but a maid pounded on his room's door.

"She came in and told me leave," Burke said.

Burke didn't believe her at first, he said, but he noticed smoke through a pipe in the roof.

"At first, we were confined to the lobby," Burke said. "But then they moved us back and back."

Burke had plans to leave on Sunday.

"I have everything in there," he said. "I've never been in a disaster like this."

Firefighters taped off the perimeter of the hotel and diverted traffic one block east. Onlookers and hotel patrons were directed to the McDonald's next door. Smoke from the fire poured into the street, limiting visibility.

Herrera said that one crew member, Capt. Robert Soto, injured his shoulder while on the scene and was transported to Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital where he was treated and later released.

The hotel's domestic water, gas, and electricity were shut off as fire crews continued to work until late Saturday.

Mowrer said that Gallup Fire Department has not released the hotel yet as its investigation continues.

This is the second fire for the hotel. It was destroyed by fire in 2002.

The owner refused comment for this story.