The Clarion Lakeside Inn plans to close for a couple of months for repairs following a fire that officials say broke out underneath the hotel on Friday afternoon, Jan. 17.
In a statement released Monday, Jan. 20, the Clarion’s manager Jimmy Koo reported that there were no injuries in the fire. He’s reporting that the hotel suffered fire damage under the building and smoke inside the building.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, he said the fire alarm went off at around 3:35 p.m., following which everyone was safely evacuated from the hotel.
“We would like to thank the community for their expression of concerns,” his statement read. “We will be up and running as soon as possible.”
Todd Skene, Kenora fire chief, said about 30 firefighters were on the scene after a call came in about heavy smoke and flames from the Clarion at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Skene said the fire began underneath the Clarion’s outdoor parking lot.
“We were able to get underneath the Clarion and get a good hold on the fire,” he said.
Fire crews worked to contain the fire, which caused dark, heavy smoke to billow from under the building. Skene said the fire was out by 8:30 p.m. and that crews came back at 9:30 p.m. for clean-up.
According to Skene, the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
Link to original article on kenoradailyminerandnews.com: Clarion to close for 'couple months' following underground fire