A Days Inn hotel in Portage, Michigan, caught fire on Sunday, sending plumes of black smoke over Interstate 94 and causing substantial damage. The blaze, which officials labeled "suspicious," was reported around 1:40 p.m., and took nearly 90 minutes to be subdued by firefighters from various departments.
According to WZZM 13, Lt. Jason Hendrick of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety stated that the fire primarily affected a meeting room on the second floor, but some residential rooms were also caught in the blaze. The wind played a significant factor, helping the fire to grow. No one was injured, but the fire forced long-term tenants to evacuate, and they are now receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.
WOODTV reported that intense smoke was seen by passersby on the nearby highway, prompting an immediate second-alarm call by KDPS. Firefighters entered the hotel to ensure it was evacuated, while others combated the fire from overhead with aerial trucks. “Fire crews coming from all over Kalamazoo and the neighboring jurisdictions talked about being able to see just a tremendous amount of black smoke from several miles away. When we showed up, we saw fire shooting up, just heavy fire, heavy smoke on the second floor of the north side of the building. It was shooting several feet out of the windows and the smoke condition was thick enough that you had to get really close to the building to even get an idea of what was burning and to what extent it was,” Hendrick conveyed.
The investigation is ongoing, and while the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it is considered suspicious. Hendrick said the investigation would take several days. Local news outlet News Channel 3 shared that the Kalamazoo Fire Marshal's Office is conducting the investigation. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact either the Fire Marshal’s Office or the Kalamazoo Silent Observer.
