Super 8 catches fire, twice

The Super 8 Motel at 345 E. Oregon Ave. caught fire on Thanksgiving evening, Nov. 22, and once more on Saturday, Nov. 24. The fires remain under investigation.
South Lane County Fire & Rescue (SLCF&R) arrived to the motel about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, and were greeted by smoke coming out the backside of the building. An electrical issue caused a fire on the second floor of the motel, located on the south end of the building, officials said.
“The sprinkler system in the building was effective in helping combat the first fire,” SLCF&R Fire Chief John Wooten said.
There were seven rooms occupied the night of the first fire, Wooten said. The Red Cross assisted 10 people and one dog at the motel and there were no injuries reported.
There is some damage, however. “There is extensive damage throughout the south structure from fire, smoke, suppression efforts and the sprinkler system,” said Wooten.
Then, there was a second fire approximately 28 hours after the initial fire. At 1:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, a second fire broke out at the motel. And while the sprinklers in the room were effective in helping to combat the first fire, the sprinklers “were shut off due to flowing water prior to the second fire,” Wooten said.
The first fire was thought to be electrical, but that investigation has since been reopened due to the second fire, he said. “The cause for both fires is now the subject of an open and ongoing investigation.”
Since the motel was already closed since Thursday’s fire, no one was evacuated Saturday morning. There were no injuries reported. After the second fire, “the investigation into the cause was reopened and remains so,” Wooten said. The hotel remains closed until further notice.
“The owners (of the motel) will need to work with the City of Creswell regarding permits for the utilities, which we had completely shut off,” Wooten said. Wooten said at this point, the damage estimates are between $150,000 and $200,000. The Chronicle attempted to contact management at Super 8, but were unable to connect by press time.