A chimney fire Sunday at Hood River Hotel created enough smoke to draw the attention of five fire departments, including Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue out of The Dalles, but caused no damage and firefighters cleared the scene in less than an hour.
Guests and employees evacuated the building at about 5 p.m. when smoke alarms were activated, according to Lt. Tony DePinto of Hood River Fire Department. He said the smoke was sufficient to trigger the hotel’s alarms and resulted in a “light haze” inside the building, located at First and Oak streets.
“It was a minor incident all in all, but we first heard ‘fire on the roof’ when someone who lives up the hill called it in,” DePinto said.
He said smoke was visible, but no flames. There were no injuries. The fire burned itself out, as is typical with chimney fires such as this one that result from build-up of creosote in the flue, according to DePinto. He said the chimney suffered no damage.
Firefighters doused the fire in the fireplace with a few cups of water.
Firefighters searched the entire building and roof, reset the smoke alarm, and allowed people back in after dispersing smoke on the third floor.
Hood River Fire deployed its Tower 3 truck, designed for responses to the city’s tallest buildings, West Side Fire Department and Wy’East Fire District sent engines, and Cascade Locks dispatched an ambulance.
Mid-Columbia Fire District from The Dalles sent a ladder truck but the rig was returned to quarters before it reached Hood River.
“With a reported fire in a heavily-occupied part of downtown like Hood River Hotel, we err on the side of caution in terms of people responding,” DePinto said.
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