Blaze Destroys Limon Hotel

LIMON, Colo. (CBS4) - Seven guests were evacuated before dawn Saturday as a fire obliterated two-thirds of a hotel on the east side of Limon.

The first call came in to Limon dispatch at 3:33 a.m., according to LPD Sgt. Russell Lengel.

The hotel is U-shaped, Lengel said, and the middle part of the hotel -- the bottom of the 'U' -- was engulfed in flames when firefighters first pulled up to the hotel.

Eventually, the fire spread to the attached eastern side of the hotel. Both of those portions of the hotel were destroyed. The unattached, 12-unit, western part of the business escaped damage.

LPD announced at 8:27 a.m. the fire was contained. However, as of 12:45 p.m., crews are still trying to extinguish hot spots.

There are no reports of injuries.

No cause has been determined.

"We have no idea yet," Lengel said. "Limon Fire has requested assistance from the ATF, just so we can find out the cause of this."

Lengel said the middle section of the building used to house a swimming pool, but it has not been used for several years. There are no rooms there and hotel guests are not permitted access there. Part of that building was being remodeled at the time of the fire.

About 75 personnel contribute to the firefight. They came from departments in Limon, Genoa, Arriba, Flagler, Calahn, Simla, Agate and Hugo.

Crews had help from the private sector as well. Workers from Pro-Ag Solutions and Mortenson Construction delivered water to the incident with company tanker trucks.

Limon is located 90 miles east of Denver on Interstate 70.